


For the Love of his Master

by chains_archivist



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: Alternate Universe, Boys in Chains, M/M, Puppyverse, Slaves, Torture, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-10
Updated: 2015-04-10
Packaged: 2018-03-22 04:46:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 26,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3715555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chains_archivist/pseuds/chains_archivist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>by Adalisa</p><p>After a year of torture, the vampire that had once been the terror of Europe has no will to fight the Master or his cruel followers. When his new master arrives, his fear begins to turn into an obsessive  love.  Set in the "Puppyverse", an AU where Angel's double crosses over from the vampiric alternate universe, instead of Willow's.<br/>Warnings: Some torture and violence.<br/>--</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Proper Care

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Puppy](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/108442) by Saber ShadowKitten. 



> Note from Dusk, the archivist: this work was originally archived at [Boys in Chains](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Boys_in_Chains), which opened in 2000 as a multifandom archive for both fiction and art, but then sadly went offline in 2005. To bring the archive back, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in December 2014. Open Doors [posted an announcement](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/1832) and e-mailed all creators about the move, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this author, please [contact the Open Doors committee](http://transformativeworks.org/contact/open%20doors).  
> \--  
> Pairing: EvilXander/Angel (Puppy), Xander/Angel (Puppy), EvilXander/Others  
> Rating: R  
> Dedication: To Woodinat and Saber Kitten.  
> Summary: After a year of torture, the vampire that had once been the terror of Europe has no will to fight the Master or his cruel followers. And in that state, is when his new master arrives, to turn his fear in an obsessive love.  
> Set in the "Puppyverse", an original AU by Saber Shadow Kitten, based in her fic 'Puppy'. The original fic can be found at http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Hollow/5214/btvs.html The main premise is that "Puppy", the AU version of Angel, instead of EvilWillow is the one who arrives to the normal universe.
> 
> Proper Care  
> Evil Vamp.Xander puts a plan in motion to make Puppy his. Pg-13.  
> Stray Puppies  
> Puppy is in our Universe, and now Xander has to deal with an Angel who won't even eat if he doesn't allow it. Pg-13.  
> Teaching New Tricks to an Old Dog  
> Puppy and Xander's relationship starts to change. R  
> Never Bite the Hand that Feeds you  
> Puppy is no longer Puppy, and he is still living with Xander. R. Violence.  
> The Voice of the Master  
> Angelus's memories of the past, when he was under Evil Vampire Xander's 'care'. R.  
> The Alpha and the Omegas  
> Spike and Drusilla return to Sunnydale. R.

Xander walked towards the cell, his face blank. He knew that it was the right time to put his plan on action. No one else was in the Bronze, even the Master had gone to hunt and thus, no one could interrupt him.

Puppy was asleep in the cell floor, trembling from time to time. Probably having a nightmare from Willow’s last torture. The redhead was his childe, and his best friend when he was human, but she had no idea of how to treat a pet like Puppy.

Ever since Darla, his sire, had shown him Puppy one night, back when he still had a name, Xander had decided that he would make the older vampire his.

For that reason only he had made Willow and other five or six girls, to capture him. It had been easier when Puppy killed Darla. The Master had been delighted the day when Xander and Willow brought Puppy to the cell, covered in chains.

The Master wanted Puppy dead, but Xander had interceded. Convincing the Master to keep the souled vampire alive. And Puppy had been aware of that. That had been eight months ago, and Xander had been waiting for the right moment.

He opened the cage door, kneeling near Puppy’s curled form. Carefully not to make any noise, he placed the bucket full of water he had brought in the floor, and touched the other vampire’s shoulder, awakening him.

Puppy looked at him, and his features paled. Shivering, he backed away, trying to get as far as possible from the younger vampire, even when he was chained to the wall.

As strong as he had been once, Puppy’s spirit had been broken by many constant tortures, mostly from Willow’s or the Master’s hand. But Xander had never indulged in such pleasures. It wouldn’t do for the future training. Still, he always watched, and so Puppy feared him too, knowing that his presence announced Willow’s.

“Shh...” Xander whispered, soothingly. “I’m not going to hurt you, and we’re alone now.” Puppy kept his eyes on him, still shaking, refusing to leave the partial safety of the wall. The younger vampire showed him his open hands, in a peace offering, to prove that he meant no harm. At the same time, he studied Puppy’s charred chest, the scars and burns still open. There was one too near to the heart, and Xander had to bite himself not to show his rage. Willow had been too close to break his toy, and that meant she had to be punished. But now was not the time to show such emotions.

“Those will never heal if you do not feed yourself, “ He said, in his most concerned voice. Puppy blinked, surprised as if he didn’t understood Xander’s voice. That was possible, Xander mused. The souled vampire hadn’t pronounced a word in two or three months. At least, not to another vampire. Without loosing his innocent, worried expression, the younger vampire bit his index finger just enough to draw blood. Since he had just feed, it was still warm in his dead body. Slowly, not to startle Puppy, he offered him the scarlet tinted fingertip, as if it were a secret between them. Puppy’s eyes flickered them, from the crimson drop to Xander’s gaze.

Although Xander relieved himself in being cruel, something that he had learned not only from Darla, but from his human years, he had been careful not to let Puppy see him in those moments. When he watched Willow’s tortures, he only made sure that Puppy knew that he was even worse than her, because she feared. Puppy had never seen what Xander was capable to do, but he had heard more than enough. Willow had told him. And everyone in Sunnydale knew that Xander was the Master most vicious and dangerous follower. And in a way, Puppy was even more afraid of Xander than of Willow. Finally, hunger overcome fear, and Puppy got closer, tempted by the smell of blood. Xander stood silent, waiting for his plan to unfold. “Go ahead... you need the blood.”

Shyly, Puppy licked the blood that had gathered in the fingertip, and Xander shivered with pleasure at the cold contact. Sensing the tremor, Puppy backed away immediately, eyes closed and shaking, waiting for the punishment that surely would follow. But instead, Xander took a wet cloth from the bucket and began cleaning Puppy’s wounds, carefully not to cause any unnecessary pain. This confused Puppy. The kind touch was nothing like what he would expect from the cruel undead teenager. He stayed completely still, afraid to even blink, not understanding the actions of his captor.

Xander finished cleaning all the marks, burn skin and coagulated tissue in Puppy’s chest. Then, although the small wound had healed already, he offered his finger to Puppy again, smiling encouragingly. “A drop won’t be enough.” He said, slowly to be sure that Puppy understood. “You can drink a little more.”

This time, Puppy’s face changed as he bite Xander’s finger, sucking the crimson liquid that lingered in the vampire’s veins, licking the tiny drops that fled from his lips. Xander observed all this with growing pleasure, feeling how the blood that he had taken from a nameless victim passed through his body to Puppy’s.

Of course, he couldn’t allow it to last for long.

Puppy had only drank more than a sip, when Xander gently retired his hand, keeping it at a short distance. The small wound would heal in no time, but Xander knew that he was close enough for Puppy to attack.

Time for test one.

Puppy stayed in his place, kneeling in front of him. Just looking as if they had never meet before.

Without saying a word, Xander left the cage.

Test one had been passed.

* * *

For the next month, Xander kept feeding Puppy from his own blood. It was always an almost pitiable amount of blood, only to make sure that the wounds caused by others would heal. And although he hadn’t been able to go every day, at least the hour was constant. The last week, Puppy had been awake, waiting for him, and he didn’t trembled under Xander’s eyes anymore.

It was time for Puppy to learn the first rule.

Willow and the Master had gone out of town, to meet a demon called Moloch. It was some sort of Hellish computer geek, and was interested in forming an alliance over Hellmouth. Xander didn’t care for it, so he stayed behind.

For his quality time with Puppy.

Before leaving his room, he stopped by the birdcage he kept there. The five white doves that he had trained in the same manner as Puppy just looked at him, passively. Of course, they didn’t know the two rules, only the first. More than enough to know that it would work with the vampire. He opened the door, and one of them flew to his hand. They trusted him completely, and that was the way Xander liked it.

With the dove on his shoulder, Xander left his room, ready to give Puppy his next lesson.

Once in the cell, he congratulated himself silently when Puppy stayed quiet and motionless as he studied the new wounds. He could touch the open sores, and Puppy wouldn’t flinch, because he trusted that Xander wouldn’t hurt him. When he finished, Puppy was looking at him expectantly, waiting for the offer of a finger, or his wrist. Instead, Xander caressed the scarred chest lightly.

“This ain’t healing fast enough, Puppy “ This time, there was no emotion in his voice. “You need live, hot blood.”

Although Puppy’s eyes grew wide with horror, and a small whine came out of his throat, he didn’t move. Xander smiled and touched Puppy’s cheek, gently.

“Don’t worry, Puppy. I won’t force you to kill.”

Under Puppy’s curious gaze, Xander grabbed the dove and pulled out a knife from his jacket. The dove didn’t move as Xander cut it’s chest open, exposing his pulsing heart. Then he stood up, and placed the bleeding wound right over Puppy’s lips. “She’s not dead. I’ll patch her up later, and she won’t even feel it.” He said, watching as Puppy licked the drops that fell on his lips, his eager eyes full of gratitude. “I know that you do not like to kill, your soul sees that as a cruel action.... but she...” Xander stopped, licking the open wound, touching the heart with his tongue “ She lets me do this because she loves me... and I take proper care of the ones who love me, as long as they play by the rules. Do you want me to take care of you?”

The dove was getting cold, so Xander knew it was time to stop. He placed his hand over Puppy’s mouth, putting the dove on the floor. It had it’s eyes closed, but it still breathed.

Puppy licked his hand, drinking the remaining blood in the younger vampire’s hand. But as his face shifted to game face, he stopped, looking at Xander expectantly. Xander smiled as he shook his head no, and Puppy shifted again, not biting the arm near him. That was rule number one, don’t eat unless told to.

Puppy was a fast learner.

* * *

“You are disappointing me, Xander.” The Master said as the young vampire entered his chamber, the open dove in one hand. “You are being too kind with the Puppy. He won’t fear you.”

Xander snickered. Even when the Master was far more powerful than any other vampire, Xander had lost all his respect for the old relic long ago. The man didn’t had any sense of style or planning anymore.

“Fear is a weak emotion. I feared my parents until I discovered I was stronger.” He cradled the dove in his arms, and looked the Master’s eyes. “Love, in the other hand... that’s impossible to overcome.” With a single movement, he snapped the dove’s neck, and threw it to the floor. “I’m not interested in making Puppy fear me. That’s too easy. I’ll make him love me and then... like my other pets... there will be anything that he won’t do for me.”

The Master looked at his disciple with amazement. He hadn’t seen anyone craft his plans with so much patience since... well, since Angelus had made Drusilla, almost a hundred years before. “Do as you will, then. You have the cage key. Keep it. And If I see him grovel to you, no one else will have permission to touch him. Not even me.”

Xander grinned, bowing before going away, with the key safely in his jacket.

* * *

For the next five months Xander continued with the same routine, feeding Puppy once every three days, winning the vampire trust easily. He had made a duplicate of the key, returning the original to the Master... As good as it was to have unrestricted access to his new pet, it wouldn’t do if Puppy was no longer tortured by the others.

The training was going perfect. Puppy now feed from live animals: doves, cats, dogs. Most important, he had learned to stop when Xander told him to, leaving the animals alive. Feeding without guilt, thankful that Xander was considered enough to stop that suffering, Puppy had learned to trust blindly in the young vampire.

And he always remembered the simple rules: Don’t eat unless told to, Never ask for any help from Xander. When he forgot himself and kept draining blood from the animals, they died. That was punishment enough.

It was time for lesson three.

The Master had given Willow permission to play with Puppy, after a successful raid that had ended with their troubles with the town’s mayor. As always, Xander decided to watch, always relieving in any new torture that his childe invented for Puppy.

“You should help me” Willow said, as she picked up her leather whip, and Puppy whined in the opposite corner. “He’ll never fear you if you don’t.”

She ended each word with a strong crack from the whip, marking red lines in Puppy’s already wounded chest. It was fun to see how Puppy cringed and tried to back away from her weapon. For that purpose only, she had given him longer chains, to tease him with the false freedom. Whenever he tried to move around, she kicked him, enjoying his pain, digging her spiked heels in his skin. It was then when Puppy turned his pleading eyes towards Xander, in a silent plea for help, for him to save Puppy from Willow’s cruelty.

“Ohh... Now Puppy wants your help!” Willow snickered, and her tone made Xander angry at her. She was mocking _him_ not Puppy. “You look for his weak heart, his noble...”

Willow didn’t had any chance to finish her phrase, as a strong hand caught her neck and sent her flying to the other side of the cell. She opened her eyes to see Xander with his game face on, hovering over her. “I am not weak, Will. You learned that.”

At first, Willow smiled. She had become addict to rough play, and Xander indulged her. She played with most of the rules, and so he used violence as a prize, not as a punishment. But when he kicked her, breaking her ribs, and grabbed a handful of her red hair, her expression changed to absolute terror.

“N... NO! Please! I just... “ She begged, understanding that she had broke one of the rules Xander set for her, the simplest rule of them all.

“Just what Willow?” He growled, as he threw her out of the cell “You just thought that he was yours? Just believed that I would forgive you?”

“I... I didn’t mean I forgot!” Willow was crying, cuddled in a ball, trying to protect herself from the blows. Puppy watched from the corner of his cell, fascinated. He had never seen Xander hit anyone, not since he had been captured... And he had never seen Willow beg.

“You forgot the rules, Will. That’s no excuse. “ Xander grabbed her from the elbow, and threw her out of Puppy’s sight. “You did something wrong, and you have to pay.”

Willow crawled away, sobbing apologies. In any other circumstances, Xander would have followed her, and made sure that she couldn’t walk in at least 3 days, just from the pain. But it was time to deal with Puppy.

He returned to the cell, picking up Willow’s forgotten whip in the way. Puppy was looking at him with some curiosity, but still not fear. The training had been well done.

And because of that, he had to explain his actions now.

“She is not the only one who broke the rules, “ he began, making the whip crack in the air, still in game face. ”If you break the rules, you have to be punished.”

Understanding dawned in Puppy’s eyes, as the whip hit the floor, dangerously close to his hand. Xander was quite accurate with the whip, although he preferred the one with bared ends. With amazing speed, he made Puppy back to the wall, standing up. The whip always found a target, not even an inch away from Puppy’s body, but he didn’t move, he just shivered with fear.

Good.

Puppy knew he deserved that for begging for Xander’s help.

With a fast movement of his wrist, Xander made four more runs, marking two red x’s in each of Puppy’s arms. The vampire was crying, but even so, he didn’t make any noise, just bit his own lips to prevent himself from crying out. Xander smiled, and lowered the whip, cracking it with his hands, to make it more resistant. Puppy closed his eyes, knowing that the last hit would be almost unbearable.

But the hit never came, at least not as he expected. The whip cracked in the air, and Puppy felt the air in front of his face as it thundered with the tip of the weapon, but it never touched his skin. When he opened his eyes, it was to see Xander, now with his normal face, looking at him sadly.

“Your punishment starts now.” The younger vampire whispered, and left the cage.

When he came back, he was carrying a wounded blonde girl. He threw her in the floor, and looked at Puppy.

“Eat. “ Xander smiled, as Puppy’s eyes grew with horror. The shivering vampire looked at Xander, shaking his head in a determinant negative. He was not going to kill a human... He couldn’t do that. That made him felt... evil.

But Xander kept smiling, waiting. Puppy backed against the wall, trying to get away from the girl, begging with his eyes for Xander to take her away. “I know you suffer when you kill, Puppy. But you broke the rules.” Puppy closed his eyes, shaking his head more fervently. He was not going to eat her, not even if Xander threatened to stop bringing more food. “Very well. Do as you want, Puppy. But this is the last time I’ll bring you food.” This made Puppy look at him, his eyes pleading. “And I won’t come back either. I won’t bother with someone who can’t remember the rules.”

He started to walk towards the cell door, when Puppy grabbed his leg, desperately. He didn’t want him to go, and that made Xander smile.

And when he heard Puppy’s raspy voice, the smile grew into a grin. His control was absolute.

“Don’t go...” Puppy whispered, trembling as he grabbed Xander’s leather clad leg. “I’ll eat.”

The End.


	2. Stray Puppies

Xander was sitting alone in a table at the Bronze. Usually, he would be with Buffy or the other slayerettes, but of late they had grown apart. Ever since Oz and Cordelia had find him and Willow kissing, their friendship had become very unstable. It wasn’t as if they noted him much before, but in the last months, they had started to alienate him.

At first, he had tried to amend what had gone wrong, staying in the Library and helping as much as he could. But since Puppy, the weird alternate version of Angel, had suddenly appeared, Xander felt incredibly uncomfortable there.  Every time Puppy was there, he kept staring at him, as if waiting for something to happen.

Xander couldn’t take it. The words that Puppy had said when describing him and Willow were engraved forever in his mind...  ‘Even before I was cursed, I wasn't as vicious or sadistic as Willow and her consort, Xander.’. After saying that, Puppy had glanced at him, so quickly that probably no one else had noticed... Because then Puppy had winced when Xander said he didn’t liked the sound of that.

So after a week or so of trying to stay in the library, with Puppy looking at him every time they were left alone, Xander gave up. He couldn’t stay in the same room with that bad excuse of a vampire.  And now he was drinking coffee, alone in the Bronze. Pathetic way of ending his life.

“Xander?” A voice called behind him, and Angel came up to sit with him. Xander barely acknowledged the vampire’s presence. Their rivalry had ended, but their relationship couldn’t be called friendship. “We need to talk.”

“What do you want, Dead-boy?” When Xander spoke, Angel looked at him with curiosity.

“How do you know it’s me and not Puppy?” The vampire asked, truthfully confused. Given the fact that Puppy wore his clothes, and that the face wounds had healed, the rest of the group constantly confused them.

“You’re talking to me.” Xander answered, not hiding the hurt from his voice. Even when he had not tell anyone, the way in which they had kept him away the last time the Hellmouth opened still hurt him. “In case you haven’t noticed, Puppy is not much of a conversation partner for me.”

That was very true. Once the excitement of the first day had faded, Puppy had begun to retreat to a shivering curled ball every time that the group was all together. In those moments, it only took a look from Xander and Puppy would shake with fear, trying to get as far from the mortal boy as he could without leaving the room. Which is why Giles and the others had dismissed Xander’s claims of Puppy looking at him as if waiting for something. And Puppy never talked unless someone say something to him first, and never to Xander.

“I think I know why Puppy attacked Cordelia that night.” Angel said, ignoring Xander’s hurt voice. Or maybe just faking to ignore it. Either way, Xander didn’t care. The point was that no one listened to him anyway.

“He was hungry. You told us before.”

“No. That was what he told me. But he was being evasive... I... I don’t think Puppy has been truthful regarding his life in the other timeline.”

“Why? I mean... the wounds in his body are hard to fake...” Xander was suddenly interested. The others always told him not to be harsh to judge Puppy, because he had suffered too much. But if Angel too believed that something didn’t add up...

“I’m not sure.” Angel paused, as if he was wondering how to say what he had to say next. “I think he attacked Cordelia because he was going to give her to you.”

“WHAT?!” Xander’s eyes opened wide with shock, whatever he expected to hear, it wasn’t that. “Why would he? I mean...”

“Xander... did you ever had a pet?” Angel suddenly asked, as if changing the subject completely.

“Yeah. A dog... but what does this has to do with...”

“I once had a cat...” Angel interrupted, looking at him intently. “It was after I was cursed... I feed him when I could, and... whenever I was really depressed, or angry with myself, he would bring me a live rat so I could feed.”

Xander swallowed the last remain of his coffee, digesting what Angel had just said. “I think you should have this talk with Willow. Puppy said it was her the one who had control.”

“And you said you didn’t liked that.” Angel insisted. “Then, Cordelia came in, you two argued again, and Puppy attacked her. I’ve been replaying those moments in my mind and I’m pretty sure of it. Willow was concerned all the time, but still one could see that nothing that Puppy said made her especially angry. A well trained pet doesn’t bring gifts to a happy master,”

Xander looked at Angel, shock painted in his features. What Angel was implying couldn’t be. Puppy couldn’t consider Xander his master... especially not because that would imply that...

Before the thought could form completely in his mind, Xander pushed it away. He was not even going to think about it.

* * *

Willow, Buffy and Puppy were going to the Bronze. He wasn’t especially in the mood to socialize, but it was hard to say so to the girls. Buffy was too strong willed to let him stay in the mansion, wondering what was he doing wrong and Willow...

He was not as afraid of Willow as he had been before, but that was just because he knew that Xander wouldn’t let her hurt him without a good reason. The trouble was that he didn’t understood why suddenly Xander ignored him, kept him away. At first he thought it had been because he said that Xander was Willow’s underling, and not the other way around... but he had said so to protect his master from Buffy. If she knew that Xander was the true leader, she would stake him.

Even if Xander was now human.

That confused Puppy even more. He understood the situation of the two time- lines, that in this reality the Master hadn’t rose, and thus, many things where different. But  still, his need to be in Xander’s company hadn’t dimmed. He didn’t want to go back to his own time because... even if he didn’t die, the other Buffy was going to kill Xander... even if he didn’t die, even if Xander didn’t die... the Master would probably kill him for helping the slayer. Even if that didn’t happen, Xander himself would stop coming to see him for being a traitor.

And maybe that was what was wrong. That was why Xander didn’t talk to him, didn’t brought food... Puppy was being punished.

From the darkness, without warning, a vampire jumped over Willow, knocking her down. Buffy reacted fast, grabbed it from the neck and back and threw him towards the alley. Willow gave her a stake, which the Slayer promptly used to stake it.

“Yikes. I hate them!” Willow said, as she kicked the ashes in the floor. “Why can’t we have a quiet Bronze night without vampires?”

Puppy had been watching all this with horror. He had never seen Buffy stake a vampire. Not this Buffy, that is. And he hadn’t expected her to do so with such... violence. Glee. Happiness.

They turned to see him, stake still in the Slayer’s hand. For a crazed moment, Angel thought that they were going to use it on him... That it was is punishment for breaking the rules, whatever the rules where now. And even when part of his mind screamed at him that they weren’t going to harm him, that they were his friends, Puppy didn’t listen to them. As the girls got near him, he pushed Buffy away and ran into the darkness, now more lost than before.

Only one thing was clear in his mind. He had to find his true master.

He had to find Xander.

Only then everything would be right.

* * *

“Puppy’s gone. “

Buffy placed her bag in the table where Xander and Angel had been talking before, not even pausing to wonder why her boyfriend and her friend were together. Both turned to see her, surprised.

“What do you mean?” Angel asked, immediately. He was a little overprotective of Puppy, possibly because he knew that it could have been him. “He was with you... “

“He saw Buffy stake a vampire, and freaked.” Willow completed, her cheerful tone now hidden by concern. “We tried to talk to him, but he only ran away from us.”

Xander bite his tongue, trying to silence the words in it. Buffy should have know better and not stake any vampires near Puppy... Given his past, that was surely a shocking experience... Wasn’t his friend thinking? Still, he risked a glance at Angel, wondering if he would tell the others about their little chat.

But the vampire only left his seat, looking at Buffy. “We have to find him before dawn.”

“True.” Buffy was in her complete Slayer mode, commanding everyone without thinking if someone else could have a good idea. “We go and cover the mansion, and the factory. Willow, you call Oz and check dark alleys and if there has been any attack that left the victim alive... Xander... Call Giles. He’ll probably have a better idea.”

Xander nodded, wondering what the librarian would tell him to do. Probably to stay away. Still, he paid his bill and went looking for the phone.

* * *

As predicted, Giles’ first suggestion was for Xander to go home. Only that Xander hadn’t agree with it, and drove the ex Watcher around the 18 graveyards in the city. It was easier to make Giles understand that he wanted to be useful when the others weren’t near, unfortunately, Giles had too many worries in his mind to keep Xander’s problems in it, so Xander never gave him details. Only insisted to help until Giles gave up and accepted.

But it was fruitless. Angel and Buffy didn’t had better luck, Oz and Willow ended with empty hands.

Somehow, Xander was not surprised. If Puppy was anything like Angel, that meant that he knew how to hide himself.

So he went home, after assuring Giles that Puppy would be all right, that Wesley won’t find about that night’s expedition and that if he found Puppy he would be nice to him. His parents were out, as his father had a night work at the next town, only coming home in the weekends and his mother was in Philadelphia, in some sort of conference... So, as most of the time, Xander was to be with himself.

Silently, not to awake the neighbors, he pulled the car in, and walked to the back door, still thinking on what Angel had told him.

And it was then when he saw him.

Puppy was cuddled near the front door, silently crying. Why he was there, how he had got there, where the first questions in Xander’s mind. The next one, most urgent was what he was going to do with him. It was almost dawn, so there was not enough time to get Puppy to the Mansion.

“Hey, Angel...” He began. He still didn’t feel comfortable enough to call him any pet name... In fact, he doubted he would ever feel that way. Puppy turned to see him immediately, his wide eyes full of fear and... hope? Xander bit his own lip, looking at the wrenched vampire. He had to get him to a dark, safe place. And the only one around was his house. “What are you doing here? You should be at the mansion...”

His only answer where Puppy’s longing eyes, as fear took the place of the few hope that was still there. Trying to keep his voice even, he opened the door, and held his hand open in invitation, but Puppy just kept looking at him, probably waiting for a hit. “C’mon... we can’t stay out here... the sun will be out in minutes...”

As Puppy kept looking at him, now confusion playing the main role in his face, Xander sighed. It still seemed impossible to him that Angel were right, but the proof kept coming to his face.

Puppy reminded him of his own dog, Blue, who died under his father’s pick-up when Xander was only 10. But Blue had been taught by Xander how to behave, out of fear for what his parents could do if Blue was bad... Keep the rules simple, the veterinary had told him then, and now the words seemed to weight on Xander’s hearth. “Get inside.” He finally said, his voice stern and cold, even as he felt like crying. “I’m not going to say it again. If you don’t come in now, I’m going to close the door.”

This got Puppy’s reaction, as he was on his feet and inside the house faster than what Xander could think it was possible. But Puppy didn’t got far. He just kept waiting for Xander, as the mortal teenager closed the door. It wasn’t until Xander began climbing up the stairs when Puppy followed... and never moved if Xander didn’t told him to.

The only good place to keep Puppy for the day was the attic.  The basement was darker, but it was the day when the cleaning lady came in, so he couldn’t risk her finding him... Not in his state. Unfortunately, the attic had windows, so Xander had to hurry and cover them with old curtains and boxes that were near.  It wasn’t as good as the mansion, where Angel could take care of his doppelganger, but it was the only thing at hand.

He felt pretty satisfied with his work, and turned around to see Puppy, try and see why he had run away from Buffy. Why Angel had the weird idea that Puppy had lied. Try and sort the conflicting thoughts that ran in his mind. But all those ideas flew from his mind as he saw the burning sores in Puppy’s arms. He had not been quick enough to pull the curtains, and Puppy hadn’t screamed as the sun burnt him... Just stayed there until Xander finished. This made Xander want to cry, but he pulled back the tears, as he had done many times before. He couldn’t cry in front of Puppy. Not now.

“Angel... why did you ran away?” He began, wondering if Puppy would answer.

“Idntbrkthrls...” Puppy muttered, as he fell down to the floor, trying to get away from Xander. Seeing this, the teenager stopped, wondering what could he do next.

“What? I... I didn’t understand...”

“I didn’t broke the rules!” Puppy yelled, closing his eyes and shying away. “I know I’m being punished, but I didn’t broke the rules!”

Xander paused, too confused to think what to say. He was in a dark attic, with a crazed vampire, and no one knew he was there... The thought alone made him sweat.  “Angel... listen... you’re...”

Xander tried to get closer, ignoring his pounding heart, when Puppy looked at him, now his tears turned to anger. “You are changing the rules!” Puppy yelled, and threw himself against Xander, furious. Xander didn’t had much time to react, so he did the first thing his panicked mind told him to. He tried to get Puppy off him, not to hurt him but just get him away, when Puppy changed to game face. Then Xander knew that if he didn’t do something, he would die there...

And if he died, what would happen to Puppy? The poor guy hadn’t even been able to look for cover until Xander told him to...

Collecting what was left of his strength, he managed to hit Puppy once, as hard as he could, right in the chin. “GET OFF!” He yelled, in the same commanding voice that he had used to get Puppy in the house. Puppy’s face changed again, looking as if Xander had just staked him. Immediately, he whimpered and got away, crawling to the darkest corner of the attic.

Xander felt a knot in his stomach as he understood what he had to do. It was just as the veterinary had told him... Simple rules. Punish when they break them, Reward them if they keep it.

And although he didn’t know the rules, he was pretty sure that attacking him was not part of it. That had come from Puppy’s confusion, when Xander did not act like he was supposed to.

Like he had acted in Puppy’s world, as a vampire.

“This was my fault. I forgot the rules.” Xander said, getting closer to Puppy, almost sure that he wouldn’t attack again.

“You changed them...” Puppy cried, not looking to Xander’s eyes. “I was good, and you said I was bad... I was bad... and you didn’t look at me... I... I don’t know what to do now...!” The vampire was merely whispering, so Xander had to be very quiet to hear him.

“I will not change them.” Xander said, this time kneeling near Puppy. He couldn’t show fear now, as Puppy had seemingly accepted that he was a good replacement for the vampire Xander. “I want you to tell me the rules again.”

Puppy looked at him, confusion leaving the place to recognition. Probably the vampire Xander had done similar tests to him, just to be sure that he remembered.

But when Puppy spoke, Xander’s heart broke.

“Never... eat... unless you tell me to. Never ask for your help...”

Xander rose to his feet, so quickly that Puppy couldn’t make his expression in the shadows. Not wanting to stay there more time, he began to walk towards the stairs. “That’s right. Simple rules.” Just like Blue’s, his mind reminded him, and Xander felt the knot tighten. “Stay here. I’ll return later.”

Once  that he was outside the attic, in the light of day, Xander ran to the bathroom. He wanted to throw up, he felt sick with himself. Those were the same rules he taught Blue, the same ones that the veterinary had explained him.

Play by the rules, and they will love you. That’s the way to train a puppy. Angel was right, it hadn’t been the vampire Willow the one who broke Puppy’s mind, even if she tortured him... It had been the Xander doppelganger. It had been him.

* * *

When he had collected his thoughts again, Xander called Buffy. He was pretty sure that Puppy wouldn’t want to leave his house, and that if Xander insisted it would confuse the poor vampire further, so he couldn’t tell her where Puppy was and in which state he had found him, but he had to reassure her that Puppy was all right.

“Can  you take him to the mansion?” Buffy asked, and Xander sighed mentally. She obviously hadn’t think of asking if Xander was all right. “I mean... he must be terrified that you were the one who found him...”

“A little... but I don’t think I can get him to move now, Buff.” The lie came so easily, that Xander almost felt guilty. But they had done that before, she had lied to him many times, so it wasn’t really important. “I’ll get him something to eat, and I’ll see you at night.” Then he hung up. The one he needed to see was Angel, and that meant not going to school.

But first, he had to make sure that Puppy ate something.

Putting his jacket on, he went to his car, going to the nearest butcher shop.

* * *

Puppy heard the sound of the car as it faded away, and he knew he was alone.  He hadn’t been able to sleep for long, still confused and scared. When he had appeared in this new world, he had been dazzled by Buffy’s presence... the girl he had waited for so long, the girl who never came to Hellmouth. But as the illusion began to fade, as he began to see the girl the way she was and not the way he imagined her to be, he had been terrified to see that his master was not paying any attention to him.

Perhaps Puppy hadn’t noted before because he still was not used to see him alive, breathing.

He had done something to upset him the first day when, as instructed, said that Willow was more evil than Xander. That had been something different, because his master loved to take his enemies by surprise, feigning weakness. But as the punishment didn’t come, he had tried to amend his mistake by bringing Xander a good gift, the girl named Cordelia.

That had gone wrong. Xander had been angrier, and didn’t even looked at him.

Finding Xander’s house hadn’t been that hard, once he managed to remember the things that his master used to tell him while he feed him, the little details and memories. It wasn’t that Xander liked to remember his human life, Puppy was sure of it, but more like he wanted Puppy to know that in many ways they had been very alike, and because of that, Xander would never hurt him psychically  without a reason. But once there, he hadn’t been able to get in. He wasn’t invited, and Xander was human in this time...

Defeated, Puppy stayed there, waiting either for his master to arrive or the sun to come out. If Xander wouldn’t take him back, Puppy wanted to die. But when Xander got home, he still was not really paying attention to Puppy, making him feel more and more alone. He had tried everything... being good, being bad. And his master still didn’t pay attention to him. His master was ignoring him.

Puppy hadn’t attacked Xander out of fear. He had attacked him because he couldn’t think of other way to get Xander’s attention... If everything else failed... he could make Xander be a vampire again. He would have his master back.

Because he couldn’t live without Xander. Not anymore. Even if Xander only thought of him as one of his pets, even if this Xander was not the one who had feed him with his own blood, Puppy couldn’t bear the physical pain that involved not been near of Xander...

He almost had bitten him, tasting the sweet, glorious copper taste that was Xander’s life essence, before giving him some of his own. Puppy couldn’t appreciate the irony that would imply him becoming his master’s sire, but in the end it didn’t matter. Xander had defended himself, hit Puppy with his bare hands.

That brought Puppy to reality. He had done something very, very wrong. Xander never used his hands in the punishment for Puppy. That was for Willow, who was always pushing the rules to their limit. Xander had always used his hands to feed him, to take care of him... And so, the hit had felt even more powerful, more hurtful than it had actually been. Puppy felt heartbroken, and the tears flew freely from his eyes.

He had tried to hurt his beloved master.

* * *

Xander was carrying two blood bags when he returned to his house. His talk with Angel had been postponed because he had ran into Cordelia and Willow, so he had not been able to skip the last classes of the day. The group still didn’t know that Puppy was in his attic, but he knew it would only be a matter of time before they found out. The only reason they didn’t press to learn the truth had been because he was Xander, and they didn’t pay much attention to him  lately.

He went straight to the attic, worried about what Puppy might or might not have done. During all morning, his thoughts had been with Puppy, what had happened between the two of them, Puppy’s anger face, Puppy’s sadness when he had hit him. He felt dirty every time that scene played in his mind. He might not have been the one who did that to Puppy, turn him from the self- confident vampire that Angel was to the  shivering form that was sleeping in his attic, but it had been a version of him. What Xander could become. It was that thought the one that scared him the most.

Puppy was asleep, cuddled in the same corner where Xander had left him. Very careful and silently, Xander entered the room, kneeling in front of Puppy.

He was sure that Puppy wouldn’t attack him again, since Xander had proved his strength earlier, by reaffirming the rules that he loathed. He could see Puppy’s face, still marked by tear lines, Puppy’s chest covered by old bruises and cuts that still had not healed... Puppy’s left arm, where he could see an old scar, that looked like two cuts shaped into an X... and he felt his chest tighten again. How could anyone... he... be so cruel with somebody like Angel?

The worst part of it was that he had no idea of how to undo the damage his other self had done. Or how deep that damage was.

Very carefully, still unsure if what he was doing, he touched Puppy’s shoulder to wake him up, praying that the vampire would be a little better after sleeping all morning.

“I brought you food, Angel” he whispered, smiling, as Puppy opened his eyes too look at him.

* * *

“Angel told you that?” Willow asked, as she and Buffy walked to the Harris’ house door way. “No way. He must be mistaken.”

“That’s what I told him.” The blonde slayer answered, peeking through the living room window. “I mean, there’s absolutely no way that Puppy fears Xander more than he fears you... O.K., so in his timeline things are a little screwy, but... it’s Xander we’re talking about here.”

Willow smiled, as she pulled out her key chain. “Xander’s mom gave it to me last year... in St. Valentine...” She explaining, blushing. “You really think Puppy is here?”

“Well, he ain’t at the mansion and Xander said he had found him...” Buffy shrugged as she followed Willow inside. She had only been there a couple of times, and waited until her friend came back from the basement.

“They aren’t down there... But we can go and check the attic.” Willow smiled, walking towards the stairs.

* * *

Puppy was looking at the blood bags very confused, not daring to open them, just shooting questioning looks to Xander every now and then. Finally, the teenager patience gave up, as he began opening one of the bags for the vampire to eat.

“You know? This would be a lot easier if you talked more.” He joked, as he handed the open bag to the vampire again. As he still made no move to drink, Xander touched the liquid with his finger and offered it to the vampire. “Come on... You have to eat something...”

Seeing this, Puppy’s eyes lit immediately with something made half happiness half admiration... and something that Xander didn’t want to identify. He just stood there, waiting for the vampire to do something.

And then, Puppy licked the blood from his hand.

“Wait... no... “ Xander began, and Puppy stopped. He still looked hungry, but he made no movement to feed. “Do... Did... did you only eat from my hand, before?” The mortal boy asked, very afraid of the answer.

“No...” Puppy lowered his gaze, his voice still just a whisper. Obviously he still had not accepted completely the fact that Xander wanted him to talk.  “Only when... when I have been good... When you didn’t brought the doves... or...” Xander couldn’t quite make the last word, but he was pretty sure it had been ‘bodies’. So making him kill was the punishment, and feeding him live animals was the normal thing to do... Although how had he done that without killing the animals was a good question. And the prize...

The prize was attention.

Trying not to think in what he was doing, Xander submerged his hand in the blood bath, keeping it inside so the liquid flow was still inside the plastic container. Puppy had stayed there, obeying. And he had answered his question. So Xander had to give him a prize. “Go ahead.” He offered, lifting his hand a little, so a few scarlet drops fell from it. “You have been good.”

Puppy looked at him, a smile beaming on his face, and Xander felt the weight on his heart lessen a little. At least he had made Puppy feel a little better. He had managed to do something right. He didn’t like to have his hand dipped in blood, he felt repulsed by the fact that someone licked his skin to feed, but he couldn’t bring himself to tell Puppy that he had to eat on his own. Xander knew very well the terrible feeling of being ignored and left alone to subject Puppy to it again.

* * *

Willow opened the door to the attic very silently, thinking that if Puppy was there, she had to be careful not to startle him. Buffy followed her close, both of them expecting to see Puppy cuddled in a ball, completely alone or maybe Xander pacing around wondering what to do next. Buffy was also sure that her friend would be enjoying the fact that the Angel double feared him, since she knew very well Xander’s petty jealousy towards her vampire boyfriend. Nothing prepared them for the scene in the attic, where Xander and Puppy were sitting side to side, Xander’s hand in a blood bag, Puppy leaning a little to eat from that hand. Both looking incredibly peaceful.

But Buffy didn’t saw that. She didn’t saw Xander sad expression, or the tear glimmering in his eye. She didn’t saw that Puppy was truly relaxed for the first time he had been in their timeline.  She only saw her boyfriend’s double licking the hand of her friend.

“XANDER!!!” She yelled, stepping in front of Willow with decision. “What do you think you’re doing?!”

“Buffy!!” Xander stood up, startled and blushing. They were already in the second bag, and he had lost all sense of time. “What... when... where...”

He was still trying to finish a phrase, when she came up to him, pushing him back, hard, making him almost lost his equilibrium. “What kind of sick game where you playing?! I knew we couldn’t trust him to you! Puppy is coming with us right now!!”

Puppy stared at the angry slayer, first very scared, fearing what she could do to him and Xander. But soon, his fear began to give way to anger. She had said Xander was her friend, Why was she hitting him? She had said she was Puppy’s friend, then why she wanted to take him away from Xander?

“Buffy... Wait... It’s not...” Xander was not going to defend himself, that was very obvious. He did considered Buffy his friend, and, for what Puppy had seen, this Xander wasn’t as violent as he had been in his own time line. He didn’t hit women. And he didn’t attack unless it was totally necessary. His old Xander would have never let Buffy do that to him, would never accept Puppy coming to his defense... But this Xander... this Xander would not ask for it, but Puppy was not going to let anyone hurt his master.

He threw himself at Buffy, tackling her to the floor, game face-on. She kicked him in the face, making him stammer back. Obviously, he needed to get some practice in fights, as she had more technique. Still, he didn’t back up. He placed himself between her and Xander, waiting for her to do the next move. “GO AWAY, OR I’ll KILL YOU!!” He roared, a little surprised to find that he still had some fire inside. At least when it came to defend Xander.

Buffy looked at him, this time allowing the whole scene to get into her mind instead of just what she had wanted to see and figure out what was going on in the attic. “Ang... Puppy? Why are you doing this? You don’t need to grovel to him for food!”

“Go away!!” Puppy answered, his eyes dimmed with rage. “Leave us alone!!”

“Stop, Angel...” Xander placed his hand on Puppy’s shoulder, and the vampire turned to see him, a little surprised. “Buffy, Willow... I’ll walk you to the door.”

He walked to the stairs, followed by Willow, who was still reeling over the events. Buffy stayed behind a little, looking at Puppy. Now that Xander was no longer in the room, Puppy didn’t look as menacing as he had been second ago.

“If you need help...” She began, still not sure about what she was going to say.

“Go away. I don’t need your help.”  Puppy answered, coldly. Buffy thought of answering, of saying something more. But instead, she just turn around and left the room.

* * *

Xander returned alone, after a few moments. Puppy looked at him, expecting to hear that he should go as soon as it got dark.

“I convinced them that you could stay...” The words surprised Puppy, that meant that Xander did want him around. “... at least for a while. So why don’t you finish your meal?”

Xander finished his phrase with a weak smile, and Puppy answered in kind. Then, not really sure if his actions would be welcomed, but unable to stop himself, he hugged Xander.

The teenager stood there, confused for a moment for Puppy’s sudden need of affection. And, because he had needed a hug more than once, and no one had been there for him, he understood. He placed his own arms around Puppy, and held him, as the vampire cried, both from happiness and relief.

The end.

 


	3. Teaching new tricks to an old dog

As many other nights before, the Scooby Gang were all reunited in the Library, doing some research about the Mayor's latest plans.  The scene was so usual that at first sight one wouldn't note the changes. Buffy was beating a punching bag, Willow had her laptop in front of her, as Oz took notes at her side, Giles read some old books in some ancient language, and Xander did the same with some of the newer books, sitting at his usual place in the oak table. Even Cordelia was there, checking the few newspapers that hadn't been added to the computer database.

The only different things were Wesley, the young and all too eager to show his knowledge new Watcher, who was almost pacing around the library, book in hand, and Puppy, who was sitting right in front of Xander, reading carefully a book, sometimes frowning as if he tried to remember something.

It had been two weeks since Buffy and Xander had their little fight in the Harris' attic, and Puppy had been staying with Xander all that time. Although the rest of the gang didn't know it, Xander's parents were aware of having a visitor, one unable to stand sunlight, and they were kinda o.k. They rarely ever where in the house anyway, and Xander had been in charge of his life since he was 15... Also,  the other slayerettes  didn't know about the new dark UV free window that adorned Xander's bedroom and that was fine for the teenager.

The day after Buffy and Willow found out that Puppy was staying with Xander had been too tense. The girls weren't talking to Xander, Xander wasn't talking to either Giles or Angel... No one paid any attention to Wesley. And when night came, and Xander had to get Puppy to the library, where he could get more used to the reality he lived now, things had gotten worse. Puppy didn't do anything without looking at Xander first. He only listened to Xander's words, taking them all as orders. That only made the glares at the young mortal more and more hurtful.

The worst part had been that Puppy had only been doing what he had been taught to do. Xander couldn't possibly hold anything against the tortured vampire.

Four days later, since the situation had gotten way too tense to be enjoyed, Xander asked Puppy if he preferred to go to the Bronze or stay in the house for a while. Puppy had choose to stay. That had been somewhat an improvement, since it was the first free-will decision that Puppy had made, besides living with Xander instead of sharing the mansion with Angel. Xander had gone to the Bronze for a while, just to meet Angel there.

The vampire was, surprisingly, not as upset as the rest of the gang for the latest arrangements. He had admitted that he would preferred it if Puppy stayed in the  mansion, but it was o.k. with him. And it had been Angel's idea to get the UV-free windows for the attic, to keep Puppy safe. Xander and Angel had parted as friends that night, and the vampire had promised that he would talk to the others, make them understand that nothing was Xander's fault. At least something good had come from all the changes. Xander had gone to sleep early that night, only to awoke around two in the morning at the feeling of someone climbing into his bed.  Seeing him awake, Puppy had immediately run  away and return to the attic, but in the morning, Xander had found Puppy sleeping in the floor, at his bed side. That afternoon he had got the UV window for his room. If Puppy ever repeated that trick, he would be safe from the sun in Xander's room.

And Puppy had sneaked in the room again the next night too, and when Xander woke up, he had again ran away, only to return and sleep in the floor.

It was then when Xander got a new idea. He still didn't had all the details about his doppelganger's rules and actions, and he didn't want to know them, but he knew that he could at least bend the rules a little. Change them as long as he told Puppy what to do.

They had to meet with the others in the library in order to make a new plan regarding Faith, the Mayor and the Ascension ceremony. If things went as usual, Xander was sure that he would be hearing various hurtful remarks about Puppy and leashes.  So before they went out, and while Puppy ate his breakfast, Xander decided to breach the subject.

"About tonight... we're going to do some research and..." he began, and immediately the vampire stopped eating, looking at him eagerly.

"You don't want me to go?" Puppy asked, a little sadness creeping in his voice. It was natural, since he hadn't left the Harris' house in two days.

"It's not that, Angel..." Xander never called him Puppy, like the others did when they had to make a difference between their Angel and this Angel. Xander had other ways to make himself understood, like calling Buffy's boyfriend 'Dead-boy'. "Look...  " He breathed deeply, knowing that the wrong choice of words could destroy what little advance they had done. "When we're with the others... you don't have to agree with everything I say or do everything I say... "

"...because they will think that you're treating me like a slave?" Puppy finished for him, before looking away. "But... but you are my master..."

Hearing those words from the vampire, Xander had to flinch. It was not the first time Puppy called that. That had been right after the fight with Buffy... but the way in which he said it, the absolute submission... it still made Xander's heart hurt. But he couldn't tell Puppy to forget the whole idea. That had to be gradually, gently. And without breaking the rules.

"Why have you been coming to sleep in my room?" He asked, wishing to stray a little from the slavery subject.

Puppy looked at the last drops of blood in his glass, one of the smallest adjustments Xander had managed to make, and his voice came very low, very shy. "You once told me that if I was very, very good, you would left the cell open... and that I would be able to sleep in your room then..." The vampire said, then turned to see Xander, a tear shining in his eyes. "I have been good, right? That's the reason why you left the attic and your door open..."

Xander closed his eyes, and bit his lip. It was just as he had feared. But he could use that little fact to his advantage. "Yes, yes Angel. You've followed the rules..." he refused to use the words 'been good' with the vampire. No matter what the others think of him, no matter what his own doppelganger had thought, Angel was not a dog. "...but if you want to sleep here, there's something you have to do..." The mortal regretted his words immediately, as the vampire leaned forward with an amazing speed, kissing him fully in the mouth. Xander's eyes opened big with astonishment and shock, and he backed away, looking at the vampire with scared eyes. "What are you doing?"

"You... you said there was something I had to do... It was what you always said when you wanted me to..." Puppy was puzzled by Xander's actions, even more than when Xander had been nice to him. But Xander didn't let him finish.

He really didn't wanted to know.

"I wasn't talking about that. I am not gay." Wonderfully, he managed to keep his voice even. It wasn't good when he yelled or screamed near Puppy, as the vampire always interpreted that as the first part of punishment. "You will never have to do... anything like that... ever again." Xander finished, blushing furiously.

"I... I am sorry..." Puppy walked away, until he was almost at the door of the room. It took a little for Xander to recover himself from the shock. He had thought that he was ready for any revelation from Puppy's world, but obviously the fact that he had been gay or bi or whatever... and that he had forced Puppy to... do _THAT_ , had been too much.

"It's not your fault, Angel... It's just one of those differences that no one thinks to mention..." Breathing deeply, he walked to where Puppy was and kneeled in front of him. "Look, the only thing you have to do is stand a little more for yourself in front of everyone. You do that, and then you can sleep in my room every day."

At the end, Puppy had done that. It had took three or four more days, but finally, the rest of the group noted the change. Puppy didn't flinch when Willow talked to him, had helped not only with the research, but also had volunteered to go with Buffy patrolling one night... and had been confused with Angel by Faith that time.

Buffy, and Willow had took that as a great sign, insisting that Puppy should move with Angel right away... although surprisingly, both Giles and Angel had backed up Puppy's decision to stay at the Harris' house. But not even them knew that now Puppy and Xander shared the same room.

That had took a few arrangements, as Xander moved most of his stuff to the Attic to make room for another bed, but with Puppy's eager help they managed to get everything in order without any interference. And in that fashion, life continued in the relative calmness of Sunnydale.

* * *

Willow looked at the vampire and Xander with the corner of her eye. She hadn't been too sure of leaving the fragile Puppy with Xander, who rarely seemed to be aware of the magnitude of things going on, and all too often made tasteless jokes in the worst imaginable moments... But Puppy didn't look as frightened as he had when he had first arrived, so she really couldn't say anything about it. At least Anya hadn't tried to contact her again, so there was no danger of anyone else coming from Puppy's universe.

Turning her attention back to her laptop, she continued her job, forgetting all about Puppy and Xander for the moment.

* * *

Giles looked up from his book to Xander and to Puppy, hoping that no one would note it.  He had been very worried for the health and well being of Xander ever since Puppy appeared in their lives. He hadn't discussed it with the teenager, but in the first days, before Puppy went to live with Xander, Giles had been sure that sooner or later Puppy would attack Xander... and most probably try and make him a vampire.

The librarian turned the page of the book he was reading, still with the problem in his mind. His main worry was that Puppy, deprived of his vampiric master,  would try to regain what he knew... change the world to be as close as the one he knew. But when it had become obvious that somehow Xander had managed to reassert his doppelganger control, Giles' mind had turned to worry about Xander's mental health. It was obvious to anyone who looked with some care that the hold that the Vampire Xander held in Buffy wasn't just about torture or physical pain... And the Watcher was all too sure that Xander, who even when he did careless comments and seemed not really interested in anyone was a very kind and gentle soul, could take that knowledge. However, now it seemed that Puppy was beginning to change, to become more independent from Xander... even when they still lived together. But Puppy's newly gained confidence still made Giles feel  better. Maybe that meant that Xander would never have to face everything that his doppelganger had done.

* * *

Buffy hit the punching bag with her mind somewhere else. A somewhere else not that far away... She had her attention in the couple sitting on the table, Puppy and Xander. For the past week, Buffy had tried mightily not to think of them as a couple, but to no avail. She saw Puppy's servile attitude when it came to Xander, remembered the very clear death threat that had come out of Puppy's throat... and hated her friend for that.

Sure, she knew that Xander hadn't been the one who turned her boyfriend -or an alternate universe version of him- into Puppy... the other universe Xander must have been nothing like their Xander... But still...

When she and Puppy had gone on patrolling, she had tired to pry a little into how he and Xander were getting along, just to meet very elusive answers. And her mind had begun to make connections about it. Not very nice either. She had tried to talk it with Willow, but her friend had assured her that it was just her imagination. And the Slayer wasn't going to believe that. Then she had tried to breach the subject with Angel... but her courage had failed her.

There was no way she was going to discuss with her boyfriend the fact that she thought that one of her friends was screwing her boyfriend' doppelganger.

So she had changed her role. With this particular vampire, she wouldn't be the Slayer. She would only watch. And if she ever found proof that Xander was taking advantage of him, well... her ex  - best friend would better start praying because not even Puppy's ill- placed loyalty was going to save him.

* * *

Puppy was reading, his head ducked in the book that Giles had given him, trying to remember if the Master had ever mentioned something about an Ascension... but that didn't stop him for noting that at least three pair of eyes were on him and Xander... Cordelia sometimes risked a glance at Xander, but it was only to see if the mortal noticed that Wesley was looking at her, Oz sometimes looked at him to see if he noted that Willow was looking at them.

Wesley seemed uncaring of the events there.

But Giles, Willow and Buffy's looks were heavy on Puppy's back. So heavy that he had to restrain himself from looking up, to see if they weren't making Xander uncomfortable.

That was the real trick. The hardest part of everything was not to rush at Xander's side every time he needed help, or every time he looked like he needed help. Not to look at Xander to be sure that he was there. Puppy was sure that Xander didn't need protection from vampires, demons and stuff like that. His friends might not note it, but Puppy was sure that Xander could fend for himself. But at the same time, Puppy knew that Xander would never defend himself from the ones he called friends, even if they treated him badly, even if they were not really his friends. And, even when he was still as strong as his vampiric counterpart, Xander was mortal. He didn't had the advantages of fast healing or increased strength.

So Puppy had decided silently that he would protect Xander. And if the protection included not to look at the mortal boy, he would do that. He would be good, he would follow the rules, and maybe... just maybe Xander would allow him to sleep in his bed. The others could think whatever they wanted; but they would never really understood why Puppy stayed at Xander side. Xander was his master. Puppy loved him.

And the only thing he really wanted was for his master to love him back.

* * *

The ambush was so childish, so obvious, that later  Buffy and Giles blamed themselves for the outcome. Even when the evidence that Faith had gone to the Mayor's side had been overwhelming, even when she had proven to be a dangerous psychopath more than once, Buffy had not changed her routine patrols, neither in days nor in routes. And Faith had known that. She and other 25 vampires had been waiting for Buffy.

The fight had been quite unfair, but thankfully for the Slayer, her friends where nearby. Angel, Willow, Oz, Xander and Puppy had followed her and joined the fray. But what had probably been just another patrol night, changed drastically when Faith saw Xander... For some strange reason Faith always lost control when it came to Xander.  The evil Slayer had dumped Buffy in the lap of two mindless vampires, and gone straight to the mortal boy, who had his hands full trying to stake just one of her group. Faith did her job so well that not even Puppy noted that she and two vampires had managed to grab Xander and ran away.

The only thing they heard as Faith and the vampires ran away was that there would be no way that Buffy would be with her friends again.  The message was very clear.

They wouldn't see Xander alive again.

Buffy wanted to return with Giles, and see what they knew of Faith, and the Mayor... to see if he could think where they had took Xander. Willow and Oz had agreed, but Angel had thought it was a bad idea. That reduced Xander's life expectancy a great deal.

Puppy remained silent as they argued, but when they began walking to the library, he turned away from them.

"I'm not going with you." He said evenly, even when he could feel his anger rising. "We have to find Xander first."

"We need a plan. " Buffy said, looking at Puppy as if the vampire was too foolish to understand what was going on. "Now come on, we cannot loose more time."

"If we go to the library, Xander is most surely going to die!"  Puppy insisted, not letting his eyes drop down. He was going to show Buffy and everyone else that they couldn't boss him around. Especially not when Xander's life was on stake.

"And if we go without a plan, we're all going to die!" Buffy answered, her eyes fixed in Puppy's. She was not going to back down here. "Why cannot you understand that, Puppy?!"

Hurt flickered in Puppy's eyes. When they were with Angel, they tried to avoid calling him anything. Not by his name, and not by Puppy. But they still called him Puppy from time to time. Xander was the only one who called him Angel, preferring to use 'Dead-boy' when talking to the other Angel... "Do whatever you want, Slayer." He growled, showing game-face "But I'm going to find Xander."

He didn't wait for her answer, turning around to follow Xander's scent. If Xander's 'friends' couldn't risk themselves a little for the one who had risked his own life to help more than once, he wasn't going to loose time with them.

* * *

Puppy found Faith's hideout very easily. She had chained Xander, making him bleed, by cutting his skin, by hitting him until the flesh gave up... And that made the scent stronger. He had never feed from Xander's blood... after all, he had known Xander as a vampire, without his own blood... but in the few weeks that he had been in this reality, that smell had filled his dreams, his whole notion of safety was built around the steady heartbeat in Xander's chest.

Thankfully, Faith was almost alone. She had only two bodyguards with her, the other vampires no where in sight.

And she was talking.

"C'mon Xander.  You know this could be a lot more fun if you just told me what your 'friends' know about the Ascension and the Mayor..." She finished her phrase by caressing his cheek. As if that crude caress could erase the bleeding spots in Xander's face. "... You tell me, I let you go."

"Do... Do I really... look that... stupid, Faith?" Xander managed to chuckle, and Puppy's heart broke. How could Xander laugh when his body was in the brink of death? "I'm not you... I won't betray my friends..."

This won Xander a straight punch directed to his stomach, making him vomit a mouthful of blood. But strangely, he kept grinning.

"Xander, What friends?" Faith asked, smiling brightly. "Be real, no one cares if you live or die. Man, look around you. Did they came to save you? No. And they didn't told you that the world was ending either. You're a zero to them. Here, you at least could be a good spy in our side. Here, you won't be a loser"

Xander lowered his head, his eyes full of sadness. Puppy could see that clearly from where he stood.  But when he lift his head, he was smiling again. Or at least, he tried to... he had a split lip. "You know, Faith... if you work that up, you could be a good Cordelia replacement..."

Faith hit him again, this time in the chest. Puppy could hear a crack from the boy's body,  he was sure that Faith had managed to broke a rib or two... and Xander was biting his lips, not screaming.

"I'm going to kill you Harris... and no one is going to care about that." As the evil Slayer rose the knife, ready to sink it in Xander's chest for the last time, Puppy couldn't stop himself. He ran towards the girl, knocking down one of the vampires, and staking the other, making Faith so surprised that she forgot for one moment that her whole intent was to kill Xander and she immediately attacked Puppy, full of confidence.

After all, she had already fought against Angel and won, even when he was pretending to be Angelus...

That was her worst mistake. She had never believed that Angel hadn't been interested in hurting her that time, and she didn't knew how much Xander meant for Puppy. Faith had always thought that Puppy was nothing more than a weaker version of Angel, so after confusing him with Buffy's boyfriend, she had been sure that in any future encounter, Puppy would be easy to handle. It was that why she never knew what hit her, as Puppy's fist connected with her face, throwing her to the floor, she tried to get on her feet, only to meet with Puppy's hand, grabbing her jacket, forcing her to stand before hitting her again, until her face was covered with her own blood, and she was barely conscious.  He threw her to the floor, kicking her in the ribs, making her gasp for air.

He could have killed her. He wanted nothing more than kill her, the one who had almost killed Xander.

No one could touch his master.

"No... stop..." Xander's voice was incredibly weak, only a whisper. But Puppy could hear it very clearly. He left Faith's bleeding form in the floor and kneeled at Xander's side. "Don't... kill her...  you'll only feel worse... later..."

Xander choked the last words, blood coming out of his mouth.  Puppy touched the mortal's face for a moment, scared to have arrived to late, but then he heard the soft, continuos rhythm that was Xander's heartbeat and felt relieved.

He couldn't loose more time. He went to Faith's limp body, getting the key to the shackles that kept Xander a prisoner. Then  he freed the teenager, and, carefully carrying him in his arms, he took him to the nearest hospital.

* * *

Xander had to stay a week in the hospital, the first days barely conscious. He had four ribs broken, his left lung was punctured, he was suffering a severe head contusion, his left arm was broken and his left ankle was seriously twisted. And he had severe cuts all over his body, causing an incredible loss of blood.

In fact, according to the doctors, Xander would have never survived if Puppy hadn't got him to the hospital when he did.

Buffy and the rest of the gang went to visit him, but they never stayed long. A couple of minutes if Xander wasn't conscious and maybe half an hour if he was. Buffy looked very uncomfortable, but neither she or Xander brought up the subject of why Puppy had gone alone after Faith...

No one thought of keep guard in Xander's room, in case that Faith decided to visit back, but luckily she didn't. And so, Xander spend his recovery time in the sterile room, with no get well cards or best wishes near him. But he was not alone. Puppy never left his side by night, even when Xander never knew.

* * *

"I don't like this..." Buffy began, as she, Willow, Oz and Giles walked away from the hospital.

"What Faith did was pretty much extreme, yeah... " Willow nodded, but Buffy interrupted her before she could continue.

"I'm not talking about Faith. I'm talking about Xander and Puppy." The blonde Slayer was frowning, and the others knew it as a sign of anger in her. "I don't like the way Puppy fawns over Xander..."

Giles coughed, a little uncomfortable. "I'm sure you're overreacting, Buffy... Puppy doesn't..."

"He threatened to kill me if I touched Xander... and look at him, coming every night, looking at Xander with so much... hope!" Buffy yelled, looking at his friends. Willow cringed and hugged Oz's arm more tightly than before. "And Xander doesn't care in the least for him."

"We cannot be sure of that, Buffy..." Giles tried once again to say, worried about Buffy's actual pettiness.

"Yes... Xander has been very nice letting Puppy stay in his house, and lately Puppy has been less and less scared of me and everything..." Willow interrupted, trying to sound more cheerfully than she felt.

"I'm going to prove him that Xander is only playing with him. " Buffy insisted, before running away from the group. "You'll see and tomorrow, Puppy will be living with Angel again!"

As the blonde girl disappeared in the distance, Oz shook his head. "I don't think that is such a great idea" he said, and Willow nodded. It wasn't a good idea at all.

* * *

It was dark when Buffy came again, this time accompanied by the twin vampires, both dressed in the same clothes. She had took extra care on getting sure that there was nothing different between the two undead man. As they entered the room, she held one of the Angels' hand, letting the other walk towards Xander's bed. The boy smiled to them, half sitting in his bed, his body held together by casts. Thankfully, the most notorious wounds had already healed, and now he was sitting with the help of some pillows. Upon seeing his friends, Xander face brighten immediately.

"Hi, guys!" He smiled, and propped himself up, nodding towards Angel, who was now sitting at the side of the bed. "Dead-boy, nice to see you. Angel... why are you staying in the door?"

There was a very uncomfortable silence following his words, and Xander looked from the Angel sitting at his side, and the Angel standing at Buffy's side... Buffy was looking at him with shock, while the Angels had a slight smile in their faces.  "What? Did I mix them up? That could be easy, I mean... both are dressed with the same clothes..."

"No... you didn't mix us up, Xander." Angel said, smiling widely. Then he pulled out from his pocket the caddalagh ring that he had never stopped wearing, and put it on his finger, just to be sure that Buffy wouldn't confuse them later on. "Although no one would have blame you if you did."

"I knew you were not going to confuse us... you have never done it before." Puppy said as he walked closer, but his smile was now smaller. "I am sorry... This was all my fault."

"Don't say that, Angel..." Xander shook his head slowly, and the others could see that it hurt him to do so. "If you hadn't been there, I would be toast. You saved me."

There was another moment of silence, that was immediately interrupted by Buffy, who assured Xander that Faith would be dealt with soon. Then Angel told a little about what had been going on in the nights, at least the details that hadn't been provided by Willow or Giles, while Puppy only looked at Xander's frail form. He still couldn't take out of his mind the image of the bloodied body of his master, as Faith enjoyed the torture... And he would never forget the courage that Xander had showed that day.

A doctor came around midnight to tell them that, even if they were family, they should leave Xander alone, so he could rest. Buffy nodded, and practically dragged Puppy out of the room... She never noticed when Angel turned to ask Xander one last question.

"How did you knew who was who?" he asked, sure that Xander would understand that he meant he and Puppy.

Xander looked up at him, confusion playing a little in his brown deep eyes. "I dunno." The mortal said at last. "I just know that you're Deadboy and he's Angel... that's all."

* * *

Xander had to stay a week more after Buffy tried to show everyone that he didn't cared for Puppy's welfare, because the doctors wanted to be sure that his bones where healing correctly. The fact that Xander was the only one who could tell which Angel was which was never discussed in front of the Slayer, but it was a common subject among the Slayerettes. Even Cordelia admitted that Xander always noted small details in the relationships he had.

And although nor Xander nor Puppy knew of this, their friends thought of them more and more as in a relationship, even when there was no evidence of it being true. Buffy never commented about it again, but became very insistent when it came to her relationship with Angel, expecting them to be together every minute of the night, making plans for patrol nights, for her few free days. And never once mentioned Xander's name unless it was in direct reference to Faith's misdemeanors.

And all the while, Puppy only waited, becoming a little solitary, even for Angel's standards. He rarely talked to the rest of the group, partly because he still blamed them for Xander's condition, partly because without Xander he felt out of place.

Every night, just before dawn, he returned to Xander's house, to sleep. And because Xander wasn't there, because he missed the presence of his beloved master, Puppy slept in Xander's bed, wishing for him to be back soon.

* * *

"Xander... can we talk?" Giles was incredibly early in the hospital, the day Xander was supposed to leave the building. They had planned that the Scooby Gang would be there to help Xander get home, so he had been waiting for them. But he had never expected to see the ex - Watcher two hours before the decided time.

"Sure, G-man... What's up?" He asked, curious. Giles had not been in all the visits that the others made, busy with his job and with trying to get Wesley out of his business.

"I have asked you not to call me that. " The ex - Watcher sit in the chair next to Xander's bed and took of his glasses. "And I just came here  to ask you to be careful when you get back home." The Watcher was not meeting Xander's eyes, something that puzzled the young man.

"Don't worry, Giles. I won't be going to the Mayor's house to throw pebbles in Faith's window." Xander joked, and that made Giles look up, smiling a little. "I think after this we can be sure that she doesn't like me."

"I wasn't talking about Faith, Xander." The librarian breathed deeply before continuing. "I am very concerned about the... dependence... that Angel... Puppy...  has developed towards you."

"Wha...? What are you talking about, Giles?" Xander asked, very surprised. He knew that Puppy was somewhat dependent on him, he still couldn't make the vampire understand that he could get his own food in the butcher's shop for instance, but he never once believed that the others in the group had noticed. "I... I thought ... Angel is doing very well on his own..."

"Xander... I am not sure of how to explain this to you, but I do not think that Puppy is really becoming more independent. I do not know what he suffered in his home dimension, but I can tell you that he did not fear your Vampire doppelganger as much as he... probably... loved him."

Xander grew pale as he remembered Puppy's half given kiss, his attempts to sleep in the same bed as Xander... and shook his head. Giles could not really mean what he meant. There was no way that someone could loved a monster like the one his vampiric double was. "But even so..." he begun, knowing that he really didn't had any proof that showed the librarian how wrong he was

"... Angel knows that I am not the vampire that tortured him... Why would I be careful?"

The ex - Watcher shook his head and looked directly at Xander's eyes. "If I am right, Xander... and I really hope I'm not... when Puppy realizes that he is absolutely safe in this reality, he might start missing his... owner..."

Giles said that word very fast, as if he felt really uncomfortable with it. "...And then he might try to get him back..."

"Get him... but..." Xander's eyes opened wide, as he remembered the way in which Puppy had attacked him the first day, trying to bite him. Could that really have been that... that the souled, tortured vampire wanted to be in the company of the cruel, sadistic being that Xander Vampire had been? "...

No...

No Giles... you're mistaken."

"I wish I were Xander. But until we can be sure... never let your guard lower."

"I'll carry a stake with me all the time, if that makes you feel better." Xander looked at Giles, slightly annoyed. He really didn't wanted to know that Puppy was probably addicted to a soulless bastard.

 * * *

That night, as Xander was trying to sleep for the first time in his own bed, he risked a glance at Puppy. The vampire was sleeping in the floor, ignoring the warmth of the bed that they had carried into the room for him. Apparently, he still blamed himself for the attack on Xander.

"Angel... It wasn't your fault. You saved me." The mortal said, and Angel immediately looked up. Obviously he wasn't asleep. It was too early  for him. Then Xander seemed to consider something else, and he moved to one side, carefully avoiding to lean in his hurt side. "And... I never thanked you for not killing Faith..."

"I wouldn't have suffered for her death." Puppy said, flatly. It was true. He felt grief for every death he had caused, for every act that he had done in 250 years. But when it came to the woman who had hurt Xander so much... he had been close to feel joy. "... She deserves to die."

Xander winced. He had never heard such a cold statement from Angel's lips... not from this Angel, not from Buffy's boyfriend... Not even from Angelus, who spoke with glee when it came to blood-related subjects. "No one deserves to die, Angel... Not here at least." Then he forced himself to smile, and looked at the vampire again. "Come here... you can't sleep in the floor."

The hopeful  smile that shone in Puppy's face made Xander feel mixed emotions. For one side, he felt happy and relieved that he had been able to do something to make the vampire smile... and then he felt shame. Shame for not being able to give Puppy the same love that the vampire gave him.  Fear for knowing that Giles had been right... and something else, something so deep in his heart that he couldn't recognize it.  But he kept smiling as Puppy climbed over the covers, putting his head on the extra pillow that Xander used.

"Thank you, master." Puppy whispered, before closing his eyes, a peaceful smile in his face.  The happiness that filled those words brought a tear to Xander's eyes... and when the teenager felt sure that the vampire was asleep, he covered the cold form with his own covers, hugging the still form before turning to the other side.

"I know this won't help, Angel..." he whispered, all to sure that the vampire wasn't hearing him. "... but I'm sorry for all the suffering I caused to you in that other reality... I would never have done that to you..." Then he lowered his voice even more, so much that he himself hardly heard it. "... I love you..."

Then he closed his eyes, and fell asleep.

He never noticed the smile that grew in Puppy's face. The vampire had heard every single word.

And for the first time since he had discovered he loved the teenager vampire that had took care of him in the master realm, Puppy was truly and completely filled with happiness. 


	4. Never bite the hand that feeds you

Puppy was feeling different.

Ever since the night when Xander let him share his bed, when his master had told him that he loved him, the vampire had felt the change. He could not exactly pinpoint exactly what had changed, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t a difference. A difference that had grown in the past 2 weeks. He felt incredibly good with himself, for starters.

In the other hand, the whole Scooby Gang was starting to get on his nerves. It wasn’t long before he decided that he hated them all, especially the girls. It had been so long since he felt that way, that he hadn’t noted it until he had found himself wondering how sweet would Willow’s blood taste, how wonderful would it be to hear her neck snap... what a great ironic revenge would be to see her cry for mercy after all the torture she had made him endure in the other world. Then he had recognized himself. And that had made him feel much better.

But he didn’t made any moves, to his own surprise. Because, after all, he knew he was strong. He could take on all the Scooby Gang and his counterpart, and kill them all with no effort.

Only that that wouldn’t please Xander.

And for some strange reason he could phantom, that didn’t annoyed him. The firm knowledge that he could not do anything that hurt Xander should have him angry, willing to destroy the mortal teenager. But it didn’t. He only questioned his master’s real strength, never the fact that in his mind, he still called the boy ‘master’.

Perhaps it was time to change that. He had to make sure that his master was really as strong as he believed, and not another weak mortal. He couldn’t bow to a mortal unless that mortal was stronger than himself.

But to test Xander’s strength... Puppy couldn’t make himself to do that. He kept thinking on how to do it, in doing it, but when they were alone, where no one could step in to help his master... he couldn’t do it.

Not yet.

Not with the image of Xander’s bloody figure, chained in front of Faith, still grinning and refusing to give up so fresh in his mind.

* * *

It was four in the morning and the Scooby Gang was meeting in the library for a very important research. They needed to find as much information as they could in the Ascension rituals and time was no longer an affordable luxury. But after five hours of staring at books describing all possible and imaginable forms of torture, Puppy was getting restless.

He had eat a little blood in Xander’s house, and when his master was not looking, drained a stray cat, just for the pleasure of feeling a life end under his fangs. He was almost ready to put his plan in action, and in a way, he didn’t want to spoil his appetite.

Of course, the only bad thing was that so little blood was not nearly enough. Not when Willow, the focus of most of his hate, was quietly reading a few meters away from his seat.

Risking a glance at Xander, who seemed deeply immersed in a huge book, Puppy rose from his seat, to search something in the back shelves. More accurately, to find his self control and restrain. He didn’t want to act weak anymore. He knew he was no longer weak and pathetic. But the very vivid memories of Xander’s cruel tortures in his own timeline, Xander’s cold stares as a vampire made him angry. He knew this Xander wasn’t the one who would hold a cross against a minion’s throat, ignoring his own pain just to mark a lesson, the one who had snapped many necks in a attack of boredom. The one who made Willow grovel and beg for forgiveness., the one who all vampires except for the Master feared... But Puppy also knew that past a certain limit, this human Xander could become all that his vampirc master was.

After all, they were the same being.

And now, Puppy only wanted to find that limit... but he also dreaded the moment in which it would happen.

“Puppy...” Willow cheerfully annoying voice threw Puppy out of his thoughts.

They were in the back of the library, where no one could see them. Where _Xander_ couldn’t see them. “Can you give me...”

With an amazing speed, Puppy grabbed Willow’s wrist and pinned her against the wall, digging his fingers in her flesh, his face morphing angrily. “I have a name.” He growled, feeling the scared beat of the girl’s pulse. “And you’re going to learn it...”

“Let her go.” The stern, unflattering tone made both turn to see Xander, cross in hand. “You know the rules, Angel. Let her go _now_.”

For an instant, Puppy wanted to comply. The nearness of the cross was making him dizzy, coupled with the lack of food. But then he regained his hold. Xander was bluffing. This Xander would never hurt him. This Xander loved him. “No. I’m bored, and I don’t see why you’re the only one who can play.”

Xander looked at him, startled, before lowering the cross. Puppy smirked. He had been right... there were no limits to what his master would allow him to do, as long as his master where human...

A burning pain crossed his face, and then he felt himself falling down. When he could open his eyes, he saw Xander holding Willow, the smoking cross in his hand.

His Master had used the cross to hit him. To punish him.

“We’re going home now.” Xander turned around, still protecting Willow with his body, not waiting for Puppy to react.

* * *

The walk to the Harris’ house was shorter than Puppy had expected, and he used the time to think. Usually they would have used Xander’s uncle’s car, but Xander had coldly stated that he would take Willow to her house, and that Puppy had to get home alone. That he must be there waiting by the time Xander got there or the doors would be forever closed.

The vampire had complied. Apparently, he had reached the limit for the mortal’s rules.

That had an easy solution, in Puppy’s mind. It was time to get his immortal master back.

* * *

Xander stopped at his door, fumbling with the keys. Willow had practically begged him to stay at her house, but he hadn’t listen.

It was time to deal with Angel.

His heart cringed at the thought. Long ago he had promised himself that he would never do anything that could be seen as punishment. But his mind was set. If Angel was going to attack his friends, the vampire couldn’t be trusted. It was time for a lesson.

The sun was starting to show it’s light, very softly in the view line.

* * *

“Get out of the bed.” Puppy turned to see Xander standing in the doorway of their shared bedroom. The mortal seemed very tired.

**I will be glad to change that forever** Puppy thought, and meekly sat in the bed. “I thought you wanted me to wait for you.” His voice was almost too innocent.

“Get out!!” Xander yelled, his fist trembling at his side. It was as if he was trying to control himself... And Puppy bite the inside of his checks, to restrain a grin. It was hardly appropriate given the circumstances. But it was so good to see a shadow of his former master in this world. To see his master near the edge. Lowering his head, he obeyed, starting to walk outside of the bedroom as he waited for the perfect moment to strike. “Go to the attic. I’ll be there shortly.”

This time, Puppy didn’t held back the grin, although Xander missed it. To bring his master back, while he was shaking with anger, would cause the vampire to regain his full past glory. And probably would want to start with the most pleasurable prizes.

Puppy couldn’t wait.

* * *

The attic was in total darkness, perfect for Puppy’s plans. The anti UV- windows were covered in curtains, firmly in place keeping the sunlight away. Xander walked in a few moments later, closing the door behind him. Puppy grinned inwardly as he saw this. Xander was putting himself in his hands. It was going to be sweet, to taste his beloved master’s life, to give his own blood so the strong being he remembered could return.

“Why did you attacked her?” Xander asked, his voice neutral, his eyes hooded. “What are you trying to prove?”

Puppy smiled widely, showing a gleam of amusement in his eyes. It was time.

“I told you, I was bored.” As Xander didn’t move, the vampire walked towards him, touching the very inviting neck of his mortal master. “I wanted to make you proud of me.”

Puppy almost whispered the last words, his courage building as he felt Xander shiver. The sound of the boy’s pulse drowning everything else.

“By torturing my friends? That will only make me hate you.” This time, the mortal’s voice flickered. It was close to anger.

“I can remember when torturing them was your greatest pleasure.”

“What?!” Xander looked at Puppy’s eyes, startled.

“I miss those times, Master.” Puppy changed to game face, showing his fangs in a grin. He felt in complete control of the situation. “I want them back.”

The vampire leaned closer, ready for the sweet bite. Xander was so still, that for a moment the immortal being believed that it would be too easy, that his beloved master wanted the change as much as he did. But then Xander reacted to his words, landing a direct strike to the vampire stomach, followed by his elbow connecting with his head, forcing Puppy to stumble back, almost falling to the floor. In normal circumstances Xander wouldn’t have had a real chance against the super-natural strength of the vampire, but Puppy hadn’t eaten properly and he still resisted to use his full strength against the human. After all, he loved his master... and he never really expected Xander to strike him. Xander loved him... or at least, cared for him. Xander had never hit him without a real good reason.

“Is this what you want?!” Xander asked, walking towards him with the leg of a chair in his hand. “You want me to beat you and make you beg for your life in pain?!”

As he spoke, he raised the chair leg using it as a club against the vampire’s ribs, breaking the wood to pieces, forcing Puppy to finally fall. Half dazed, Puppy looked at Xander’s face, finding only anger shadowed with traces of doubt and sadness.

“I...” his voice trailed. Suddenly, he was no longer sure of what he was doing. It had been too long since Puppy was himself, so long that not even him was confident enough to use his real name, and the memories of his pain at the others vampire’s hands was firmly engraved in his mind. All together with the cold caresses and kindness that Xander had always shown him, both in this world and in the Master’s realm. Physical pain had only been the ultimate punishment.

A punishment that Puppy had foolishly earned now.

“You want me to become a sadistic bastard?!” Xander yelled, not waiting for a real answer, kicking Puppy’s side again, before leaning to grab a fistful of hair. “It isn’t that hard.” With those words, he banged Puppy’s head against the floor, making him bleed, picking something from the dusty floor. “I can be cruel too.” This time, Xander’s voice dropped low, as he turned around throwing what he had in his hand against the nearest window, letting the deadly sunlight in. Then the mortal looked at the shivering vampire, smiling as Puppy tried to escape from the light. “I enjoy it.”

Puppy winced in horror. Despite the fact that the being standing in front of him was human, the voice, the movements, the very core of him were those of his vampiric master. In a way, his wish had come true.

But now he was covering, sure that his master’s next blow would be fatal.

The blow didn’t come.

Xander kneeled down, light showering his silhouette, grabbing Puppy’s wrist to force him to look straight into his eyes.

“New rules, Angel.” He said, and Puppy half expected him to change into a vampire visage. “Never tease me again.” The teenager pulled the vampire’s hand harder, so it touched the beam of light, smiling as smoke began to gather. “Next time, I won’t be so kind.”

Then he was gone, leaving behind a trembling vampire, cowering in a dark corner, trying to hid from the advancing sunlight.

* * *

Xander left the house, breathing hard. He was tired, and he wanted to sleep, but after what had happened... He felt tears in his eyes and walked faster. Angel couldn’t see him cry.

When he reached a park three blocks away from his house, he collapsed in a bench, letting the tears flow freely from his body. Everything hurt. His arms hurt, his legs hurt, his heart hurt... but the worst part of it was that, deep down, he had enjoyed it.

In the most hidden part of his soul, the small part that had been rejected by him ever since the day when he burned Willow’s Barbie’s head just to make her cry, he had been more than happy to see Angel cover from his blows. A stray dog whined near him, and Xander patted it, thankful that someone saw that he needed comfort. He had always felt more at ease with animals, as opposed to people... people always seemed to bring out his cruel nature.

As Angel had just done.

The dog began licking his face, and Xander couldn’t stop himself from hugging it, crying openly.

Against his best wishes, against his own heart, he had hurt Angel. Just as his other self had done in the hellish alternative timeline, proving that after all his doppelganger and himself were just the same.

* * *

As daylight advanced inside the desert attic, Puppy cornered himself in the farthest, darkest corner, not sure if he could survive to see the next night.

Not sure if he deserved to live.

He was furious with himself for being so weak, as pathetic as the countless victims that he had killed across Europe... But even so, even when he knew that he could easily bring a reign off terror in Sunnydale and he wanted to do so... He was terrified and broken.

He feared that he had lost his beloved master.

He was broken because he knew that it had been his fault.

As the wounds inflicted by the mortal began to heal slowly, he let his mind drift to Drusilla, the young woman that he had driven mad, who had loved him. The girl who would have died if he had commanded it. Now he was just like her, only that he hadn’t gone mad. He was very aware of who he was, and where he was.

He was Angelus, slave of Xander.

And he would do anything in order to regain his master’s love and trust.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be continued.


	5. The Voice of the Master

"Buffy, watch out!!"

The Slayer barely had time to turn around, catch the stake thrown at her and stake the vampire that had attacked her before the shock of actually hearing Puppy's voice flooded her. For the past two weeks the vampire had been all too quiet, only talking when someone asked him something directly. And he had never participated actively in the vampire slaying unless Xander was with them.

But Xander was there, he had run to follow another vampire, just stopping to yell at Puppy to make sure that the vampire would stay with Buffy. The curious thing was that Puppy _had_ obeyed. Two weeks ago, he would have followed Xander nevertheless... and now he was obeying.

Buffy smiled.

Maybe that meant that Puppy was finally shaking off Xander's control. That the vampire had stayed _not_ because of Xander's order, but to protect _her_.

The Slayer smile grew. Maybe she could have stereo-smoochies after all. If _her_ Angel was going to leave her... Well, Puppy could be a perfect replacement.

* * *

Angelus followed the Slayer in silence, as they went to meet the rest of the group, feeling terribly with himself. He was a vampire, a demon, considered by many as the most cruel and evil of his kind... and now he was helping the Slayer to do her work. He was staking other vampires, protecting humans, stopping evil.

Just in hopes of earning Xander's trust again.

He did not had any physical scar from his ill-fated attempt on turning his master into a Vampire. All burns, all bruises, had healed. But his mind and heart were far beyond repair.

He had spend the whole day in the attic, waiting to die. But his master was not a fool. The attic was constructed in such a way that there was a small shadow to protect him all day, as he trembled in fear. When night fell, Xander had returned, with a cross in one hand and a bag of blood in the other.

Angelus had begged for food that night.

As the two weeks passed, Xander had allowed him to return to the bedroom, but trust was lost. Angelus could not touch his master, or climb to his bed. Xander hadn't touched him in anger to make that clear, the teen had simply ignored him

A punishment so cruel that Angelus was not sure that he would stand it for much longer.

Willow still feared him, and that was just a small comfort... the Witch was very careful around him now, never staying near him, or alone in the same room as he... But Angelus wasn't in the mood to revel on that.

After all, it was one of the reasons why Xander didn't trust him anymore.

Xander blood's scent filled his nostrils and Angelus immediately focused on his master's bleeding form. The young mortal had a nasty wound on his shoulder, and it was bleeding. It wasn't a vampire's bite, more like a knife wound, and Angelus had to fight the impulse of kneeling down and lick the red liquid, of offering his master his absolute loyalty with that caress. Instead, he was with pain filled eyes as no one took care of those wound, while Buffy and Willow congratulated each other for their victory.

Oh, how he hated them.

But he couldn't make them pay.

* * *

Xander barely looked at Puppy, before returning to mend his wound. Cordelia had helped him to clean it as soon as they got to the library, but Xander had asked her to leave. It was bad enough having Puppy's eyes fixed on him, he didn't want Wesley's jealous stares too.

He knew that Puppy had repented from his stupid cruel vampire act two weeks ago. He also knew that it was probably not Puppy's fault... After all, who knew how much Puppy had suffered at his doppelganger's hands?

Part of him wanted to forgive the vampire, to hug him... to kiss him and pray that that would be enough to make Angel forget his suffering. The rest of him knew how impossible that dream was.

Because even if he could admit to himself that he loved and lusted Angel, he couldn't risk to make the vampire happy.

It was bad enough that sometimes Angel would act as if Xander was his vampire master... having Angelus around...

Xander shook that thought out of his mind.

If _this_ Angel turned Angelus, there would be no mind games against Buffy... Xander would be dead in seconds, just as a revenge from what his other self did. It wasn't that Xander was afraid of dying. Dying was ok, as long as it was the definitive end. But if Angel/Puppy had tried to turn him into a vampire, Angelus/Puppy could very well do so... And Xander didn't want to become a cruel undead demon.

His mind didn't want to dwell on the fact that, by setting the rules and making Angel stick to them, he could very easily become a crueler _live_ demon.

* * *

It was a quiet time in the library, as the group researched for new information about the Mayor's plans. Willow had been kidnapped and before they managed to rescue her, she had ripped off some pages from the books of Ascension. That information could be very important.

But Puppy was sure that they were _not_ worth their cost.

Because in order to save Willow, they had handed the Mayor the only thing missing for his ascension, a box full of evil demon spiders. They couldn't follow the ritual to destroy the box, since Oz had promptly broken all the items necessary to make clear that they _had_ to save Willow _before_ they thought on saving the world.

If one of the Mayor's spiders hurt Xander, Puppy would break every single bone in the werewolf body, before killing him. If the Mayor did anything to hurt Xander, Puppy would kill Willow so cruelly that her screams would be heard long after she died.

He had been so angry at hearing the Mayor mock Angel, his other self, so angry at knowing that when the Mayor changed every mortal in the town could die... and that those mortals were Xander's friends, that he hadn't stopped himself from punching Oz right there, sending him flying to the other side of the room, as soon as the Mayor left.

Of course, everyone had looked at him as if he had gone crazy. Except Willow. Her eyes had been full of horror and disgust against him.

Xander had just shook his head and left the room without turning back.

Once more, Puppy had managed to make his master hate him.

He was dwelling on that when a shushed giggle made him turn around, only to see Willow and Oz kissing. The red head was smiling, her eyes were no longer filled with fear or uncertainty.

She looked almost like her vampire doppelganger, Puppy's most hated enemy.

The kiss deepened as it appeared that both teenagers had forgotten that Puppy was there. It sickened him, it made him want to die.

It brought back too many memories.

Puppy hated to see people kissing. Once, not long before he became himself again, he had asked Angel why he kissed Buffy, but he hadn't understood his other's self answer. Maybe because he had never been kissed with love, and seeing other people kissing...

He was so enthralled on that terrible memory, probably the worst he had of his years imprisoned, that he didn't saw when Buffy walked towards him, with a predative smile in her lips.

Buffy had been watching as Puppy tried not to see Willow and Oz kissing. She was amused to see the vampire's useless attempts, as he seemed unable to take off his eyes away from the couple. Of course, it was natural to see him so interested. After all, What kind of love had he know? He had never had someone who loved him, even if he was a vampire.

Sad, wasn't it?

Since her Angel was again brooding, and she would probably not see him until next night, when they had to patrol together and maybe get their night picnic... well... what harm could be done by a little smooching? If Puppy was so love starved that just cuddling made him lost his soul, Buffy had enough stakes in her jacket.

After what Puppy did to Oz, she had a good excuse.

She had the perfect excuse.

"What's wrong, Puppy?" She asked, trying to keep her tone as sweet and understanding as she could. "Don't feel excluded, please. We like you."

She moved her hand to touch his cold cheek, only to feel him shake in what she choose to identify as desire. She simply didn't want to see the resigned fear that had dulled the vampire's eyes.

"No... not this..." he began saying, but she choose not to hear him. In his mind, the blonde hair turned black, the warmth of her body turned cold... he was no longer being cornered by the Slayer, but by one of the mindless vampires that usually accompanied Xander.

He had broken a rule, he was being punished.

Buffy was very intent on finding his lips, on marking him as hers, when Xander returned from the cafeteria, a couple of soda cans in his arms. From the door, he could see Puppy's eyes very well, and he did not mistook what was reflected in them. He had seen it too many times while living under the same roof as the vampire.

Only that never so strong.

Never so much that when his eyes connected with Puppy's, the vampire closed his own in shameful acceptance.

"Buffy, stop." Xander managed to say, controlling his voice as his hands shook the cans. "You're scaring him."

The Slayer turned to see her friend, annoyed as she hadn't been able to claim her prize. "He seemed fine until you got here, Xander. You scare him."

Puppy didn't dare to turn completely to see his master, not when the situation was so terribly familiar, but he risked a quick glance. His master's eyes seemed masked with a dull color, there was no light inside. The vampire knew now what that meant.

Xander was controlling his temper. If he failed, Buffy might very well be in trouble.

Which, from Puppy's point of view, was very good.

It also had made Willow and Oz stop their kissing, so Puppy relaxed a little. Maybe the punishment had ended. After all, he hadn't done such a bad thing.

"Buffy... you should stop treating Angel as if he were Deadboy." Xander smiled and took a step closer, only to put the cans on the table, near Willow and Oz. The red head seemed ready to say something, but she choose not to. She had seen Xander in those moods before, and experience told her that it was better to stay silent. "Not all soulless vampires come to Sunnydale just to be your toys."

Buffy paled a second, before walking away from Puppy, who was very grateful. Not only his master had stopped the punishment, he was also talking back to the bitch. But still... it was a little closer to the vampire he remembered, more than the human he had come to know. "You should talk... Weren't you the one who dated the girl you hated more, just to cheat her with your best friend?"

"I think that's enough, Buff." Oz quiet tone made everybody turn to see him. It was so rare that he spoke more than two or three words, that when he did, he always got all the attention. "We're all tired, we should be home before we kill each other and save the Mayor all the trouble."

"Yeah. You're right." Xander conceded, grabbed his back and left the room, not waiting for Puppy. This time he didn't want to be cruel, he didn't want to leave the vampire alone with Buffy... but he wasn't sure that Buffy's words were not true.

Maybe it was him who scared Puppy now.

So he didn't saw as the vampire hurried after him, at the shocked looks of Buffy, Willow and Oz.

* * *

The ride to Xander's house was very silent. None of them was up to small chat ever since the incident with Willow.

But there was a big doubt in the teenager mind. Puppy had come to him again, but was it out of fear to what Xander might do to him or what Buffy could do to any vampire?

He needed some answers.

* * *

"Are you afraid of me?" Xander asked Puppy, when they reached the relative darkness of Xander's room.

"What?" The question took Puppy by surprise. He did fear his master anger, but he knew that Xander would never hurt him without reason. He didn't had anything to fear from Xander, as long as he remembered the rules. Even those with which he had problems like not killing his friends.

"I was thinking on what Buffy said... it occurred to me that you could be here only because you fear me...That maybe you would be happier if you stayed with Deadboy or somewhere else..."

"No!" Puppy's answer was vehement, sure. "I wasn't afraid of you. I know that you will only hurt me if I attack you again."

The teenager closed his eyes, considering Puppy's words. After what had happened, he really wanted to know more about Puppy's past, to see what he was dealing with. Even if that meant that he had to face more unspeakable things that his double had done.

"What were you afraid of then?"

Puppy's eyes turned sad, as he tried to avoid his master's gaze. The answer was delivered in a trembling whisper. "I was afraid that you wanted me to... to make Buffy happy..."

Xander's stomach reveled with anger hearing this, but he forced himself to listen, to try and understand, as Puppy's voice grew somewhat more confident telling him his story.

* * *

Puppy watched in despair as some nameless vampire sucked Xander's cock, under the clear instructions of the young vampire. It wasn't usual that Xander did that with a male vampire, much less in front of Puppy... but Puppy was being punished.

He had helped some humans to escape. Gypsies who could find a way to stop the Master's plans. The humans hadn't gone far, Xander and Willow had found them fairly quickly, and killed them all. Except from a woman who had been saved by the White hats.

All the more reason to punish Puppy.

He knew he deserved it, he had played again with his master's trust, against his master's rules.

So after they had come back, Xander had grabbed one of his underlings and watched as the vampire raped Puppy, smiling as Puppy cried with pain.

Then, when the underling had finished with Puppy's ass, Xander had grabbed the weaker vampire, forcing him to his knees and fucking his mouth, while Puppy watched.

Closing his eyes would have been against the rules.

At least it was not Willow.

At least it was male.

At least it was not the Master.

When Xander finished, he walked towards Puppy, still half naked. The hopeful eyes of the vampire making the cruel teenager smile.

"You have to learn the rules," he said, holding Angel's cheek, but staying far enough so the souled vampire could not reach him. "Just prove your love for me, and the chains will go. You'll be able to get your deepest wish."

* * *

"What... what did he mean?" Xander asked, very sure that he didn't want to know, even when he had to know.

Puppy turned to see him, his eyes full of something that Xander didn't want to identify. Not now, not like this. "He never let me touch him." Puppy said, his voice full of regret. "And no matter what I did, he never said it was proof enough."

"Angel..." Suddenly, Xander didn't want to know anymore, he didn't want to hear about it, hear the words that threatened to come from the tortured vampire's mouth.

"The gypsy woman who had escaped came back during the day, when everyone was asleep. She went straight to my cage, trusting that I would help her as I had tried to the day before." Memories came uninvited to Angelus, who didn't care much for human lives but still ached for that single life... for all it had meant. "She unchained me, and asked me to show her where the Master had his lair. She wanted to stake him and all his followers... I lead her to your... to Xander's room. But when she came close to him, and discovered he was not the Master, she turned to see me, surprised. Her voice woke Xander, and when he saw me... I killed her. I broke her neck without thinking it twice, and then I kneeled in front of him."

"Angel..." Xander didn't know what to say. He had learned much more of the vampire life than what he wanted. He didn't really want to know that Angel was capable of killing for him without remorse.

"He smiled," Angelus said, still deep in the memory. A memory he now ached to share with his master. " and led me back to my cage, where he chained me again. But he was not angry. He told me never to go out without his permission, or the punishment would be terrible... And then... then he kissed me, biting my lips hard enough to draw blood, then letting me do the same. That was the only time he did that. He never let me touch him again... because I hadn't proved him yet that I belonged to him."

Xander was speechless after hearing that, and almost blindly, reached out to touch Puppy's face, to make him return to the present and forget the past.

Only to find himself caught in the vampire's eyes.

Without thinking, mesmerized by the sadness and the loyalty reflected in Puppy's eyes, Xander leaned nearer, and pressed his lips against Puppy's, kissing the vampire tenderly as he had only done in dreams since admitting to himself that he loved him.

The kiss lasted an instant, but it seemed forever, as Xander explored Puppy's lips, Puppy's mouth, and the vampire startled began to do the same. Only a second, before Xander regained his senses and pulled back.

"Why?" Puppy asked, his voice full of shock.

"We cannot do this, Angel... you could loose your soul if..."

"It's too late for that," Angelus stated, neutrally. But before Xander could worry, he continued. "That night I discovered that I had already lost my soul... because it already belongs to you."

The mortal teenager was taken aback by this confession, and he stood, looking to the vampire with surprise. Then, he remembered his original question. "What is your deepest wish? The one that my vampire self promised you?"

Somewhat filled with courage after his master kiss, Puppy stood too, looking Xander straight in the eye. "Be yours" Then, shyly and slowly as he didn't want to do anything without Xander's consent, Puppy leaned forward, to capture a second kiss. Unlike the first one, this one was chaste, barely inquisitive. "Can I be yours?"

Xander closed his eyes, his mind debating with his heart. Puppy's words about his soul seemed double edged. If he really loved Xander -The evil vampire Xander or himself, it really didn't seem to matter- then the smallest touch, the briefest caress would have made him truly happy.

That meant Angelus.

But if this Angel was Angelus... and he hadn't tried to kill Xander... then what did that meant? He couldn't give in... he wanted nothing more than give in. But he had to be sure. As terrible as it was, because it only showed how closely related were the two Xanders, he had to be sure. There was only one way to do that. "Then just prove it."

After saying that, he left the room, leaving Puppy alone. He needed time to think.

* * *

Angelus watched as his master left the room, and waited until he was alone to take his fingers to his cold lips. To touch the place where they had joined with the warmth of his master's life.

"Prove it" Both Xanders had said, both promising the same prize.

When he was with the vampire Xander, Angelus had been a coward crippled by fear and guilt. He hadn't been able to prove that Xander was the owner of his life, of his soul and his being.

But now... now he was himself again. And if his master wanted a proof... Then he would not rest until he had given him one.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be continued


	6. The Alpha and the Omegas

Spike walked through the empty streets, smiling for the frist time in months. He had returned to Brasil, ready to get Drusilla back to him, and then forget all about Sunnydale and the suffering he had gone through in the damn town.

So why he was now in the same place? Just because Dru had told him to? Just because the Chaos Demon who shared her bed wanted to see the bloody Hellmouth? Or because once again he was confident that he could manipulate the trusting Slayer into helping him with his revenge?

That brought many happy memories to the vampire, as he paused to consider his new plan. It had been easy to get Buffy to make a deal with him. His life and Dru's in exchange for a hidden ace in her battle against Angelus. Of course, Dru would not be as trustful this time... she was insane but she wasn't a fool. Spike was not going to be present when her new pet tried to open the Hellmouth again, because 'Miss Edith wanted them to be alone... you understand, don't you Spike?'

Sure he understood. She wanted the sky painted blood red so her beloved Angelus returned, and Spike's presence would be just a nuisance.

The vampire reassumed his pace, heading towards the library. It was the perfect place to find the Slayer or her friends without making an unnecessary scene, like last time he had been there.

He would get them as allies, because he liked the world as it was. He liked to be in charge... and it would be the perfect cover to kill the damn Chaos demon who hang around his Drusilla.

* * *

"I'll go and get something to drink." Xander left his place among the books, and rubbed his eyes. The Scooby Gang had been looking for information about the ascension for three days in a row, just to end up with nothing. Whatever the Mayor was planning, they were still in the shadows and thus, unable to prevent it. The only plus points were that now that they had two vampires helping them, Faith and the Mayor's goons had more troubles than usual getting what they needed.

Xander was still amazed at the enthusiasm Angel, _his_ Angel, not Buffy's Deadboy, had taken in helping them. He didn't want to think that it was Angel's way of trying to prove that he was Xander's... but deep down, he felt thrilled by the idea.

He sighed.

His life had become too complicated since Angel/Puppy had arrived. Ever since he learned that the vampire was completely surmise towards him, almost addicted to his company, it was hard for Xander not to feel some pleasure on that. The only thing that kept that pleasure away was the knowledge of what the vampire had suffered at his hands.

A sound in the aisle outside the cafeteria got him out from his thoughts, and he cautiously looked at the door.  He knew it wasn't Angel, as the vampire had been keeping his distance when they were researching... But who else could it be in the darkened building?

"Buff? You're back from patrol?" He asked, realizing that it was probably not the best question to make just as the words left his mouth. "Willow? Giles?" He started walking towards the exit, slowly. His relationship with the rest of the gang was strained ever since Angel returned from Hell. It had gotten worse from there... it was so bad now that even if he would still be risking his life for them, he was not at all sure if they would do the same for him. A scary thought if he let himself dwell on it. "C'mon guys, you're scaring me..."

"That's the idea!" Before the young man could react, he was caught in a strong neck grip. The vampire was smiling, his game face shown in all his glory.

"S... Spike?!" Xander managed to stutter, wondering why he was not dead. "What... are you doing here? Drusilla got saner and dump you again?"

Xander knew that taunting the Vampire was close to suicide, but he couldn't stop himself, not even when the grip tightened, making it harder to breathe. Perhaps it was because of the time he had shared his room with Angel, or that after being almost killed by Faith he had finally had enough. He didn't fear Spike... or any other ever again. If that got him killed, well, too bad. There had been enough running away like a girl for his taste.

"You're lucky that I've come to talk, boy, or you would be dead by now." The vampire grunted, and pushed him forward, in the direction of the library. It was pretty close to what he had done just months ago and Xander guessed that his taunt had hit a true spot. Even if Spike was not drunk, it was almost dejavú.

"Spike." The low voice made the vampire stop just in front of the library doors and Xander smiled. Deadboy was a few feet down the aisle, looking at his childe with worry. Because he knew that for once, Deadboy was not worried about him... but about Spike. "I wouldn't do that if I were you..."

"Why not, 'Angel'?" The blonde vampire asked, amused, as he opened the door to the library with a kick. "Unless you can split in two, it is me the one who has the advantage..."

"Let him go!!" Spike barely had time to recognize the voice before he was thrown against the farthest wall, to be held there by the furious figure of another Angel. An enraged Angel who seemed close to kill him, no matter how much he struggled, and tried to get away. Belatedly, Spike wondered when had been the last time that he had seen his sire so angry... so willing to kill.

"Angel, no!! Don't kill him!" Obeying Xander’s order, Puppy let go of Spike. He hadn't seen his friend in a long time, and when he had caught a glimpse of the blond hair trough the windows of the main door, he had left his place in the oak table to greet him. But upon seeing that Spike was hurting Xander, the rage had eclipsed everything else. No one was allowed to touch Xander, much less to hurt him. He was not going to let anyone send Xander to the hospital ever again.

But Xander had told him to stop, and as much as he wanted to see blood under his hands, hear someone begging for their lives... Puppy could not disobey his master. Not when he was trying to prove that Xander was the owner of his body and his soul.

Spike blinked, watching amazed as how the Angel that had attacked him shifted his face and turned to see the mortal teenager with a confused stare. That made little sense to Spike, even less than the fact that he was seeing two Angels. Especially because he was sober. "He tried to kill you."

"I know, but he also said he wanted to talk... So let's give him a chance." Xander's voice was almost commanding, something that Spike would have never associated with the boy, not when he was always seeing him as the lap dog of the Slayer. Still confused, Spike got to his feet, noting with some inside joy that the Witch and her wolf seemed as shocked as himself hearing that.

"Since when you are the one who calls the shots? I thought it was the Slayer's work..." Spike quipped, his eyes dancing from the two Angels to Xander. Things had changed too much since his last visit to Sunnydale and he was still wondering if he could use it to his advantage.

"Buffy's not here." Angel said, walking closer. "What do you want, Spike?"

"I came to cut a new deal, " Spike smiled, siting in the nearest chair, not taking his eyes from the two Angels. The one near Xander still was looking at him with a hate-filled stare, while the other was waiting patiently. They were dressed in pretty much the same style, the only difference being that one was wearing the Cadalagh ring that Spike knew Angel had given Buffy for her 17 birthday. There was something else in the ring-less Angel... but Spike couldn't pinpoint it. Yet.  "I thought you would like to know that Dru's in town again... and she'll try to re-open the Hellmouth."

Now even Xander was confused. That was good, Spike mused, and got himself comfortable, by putting his feet up the table. As long as he could keep his enemies disoriented, he had the upper hand.

"And you want us to believe that you will betray her?" Ring-Angel asked, nearing the door as if to block the entrance. Spike smiled. He really wanted to know what was going on in his sire's mind. The blonde vampire opened his mouth to speak when Buffy finally entered the library, a smile in her face.

"No. He wants us to promise we won't kill her or him and he'll help us to stop her. Just so he can leave us with the Hellmouth open and hope we will die." The Slayer said, pointing her crossbow towards Spike. "Did I miss something?"

"Don't you believe that people change, Slayer?" Spike pointed towards the Angel twins with his head. "I noticed there were some differences around here."

As the girl didn't made any movement to lower her weapon, the blonde killer lifted his hands, surrendering. "I won't run away this time, girl. I want to kill the bastard that's using Dru for his plans. Sure, I'd like to buy her free ticket out of here too, but for now I'll settle with my well being, and the promise that you will try not to slay her if I help you."

He heard Xander snicker, and could swear that he heard the boy mutter something about 'dealing with the devil' but didn't pay much attention. It was bad enough to know that for some strange reason, the boy didn't fear him as he used to. He had to focus in the matter at hand.

"O.K. We'll bite." Buffy finally let go of her crossbow and sat in front of Spike. "What's going on?"

* * *

Angelus waited outside the library, just a few steps behind Xander. Before he could go with his master, he wanted to have a few words with his childe. Once the rage had subdued, he had been listening to Spike, quickly putting all the puzzle pieces in place. In this reality, Spike and Drusilla had visited Sunnydale, instead of staying away from the Master's hunting grounds, and apparently during their stay they had helped Angelus to try and destroy Earth. The idea had some merit to it, the demon mused, but it was very stupid if he could not ensure his master's safety... Or his own.

During Spike's pitiful tale of how Drusilla found a new toy, no one told the blonde vampire why there were two Angels in the group, none had called him Puppy during that time,  and Angelus planned to use that to his advantage. He was sure that he still could overpower the younger vampire, and he needed to teach him not to hurt Xander.

Even when in his mind he wondered if his master would punish Spike as cruelly as he punished him.

"It's been a long time since we saw each other, Spike." He whispered, as the other walked out through the wooden door.

"Has it?" Spike caught the barb, and answered in kind. Angelus' grin widened. "You're still the Slayer's pet, my friend. Even if now there are two of you."

Shifting face, just for effect, Angelus caught Spike's neck once again, pressing him against the wall. He only had one second before his childe reacted, and he knew that he had to use it wisely. "I'm not 'the Slayer's pet' Spike. You must remember that."

Spike struggled, but Angelus pulled out a stake from his leather jacket and pushed it against his skin, barely higher than the heart. He knew how it felt for a vampire to feel the deadly weapon so near. It was one of his vampiric master's favorite tortures. His childe stopped struggling immediately, looking at him with suspicious eyes. "What's wrong Angel? Can't take a little joke?"

"My sense of humor has changed, Spike" Even when Spike couldn't know it, Angelus was unconsciously imitating Xander's angry tone. The one that made his own heart shake with fear. "This is just a warning... Never try to hurt Xander again."

Hitting Spike with the back of the stake, just hard enough to leave his former friend shaken, Angelus walked away, smiling. His master would be so proud of him.

* * *

Spike watched as Angel walked away, still trying to understand what had happened. He was used to Angel's weird changes of mood when he was Angelus, but what he had witnessed was very different from those. Besides, it couldn't be Angelus. Not if they were letting him help, not if he was trying to protect a human.

"I told you it was a bad plan, Spike." The other Angel was walking towards him, a smile in his face. Groaning, the blonde vampire rose to his feet. He wasn't up for a double session of sparring and embarrassment at his sire's hands. "He has a very short temper."

"'He'? You mean that he is not some weird reflection of you? Or one of the dumb witch's spells gone wrong?" Spike was curious.

"He comes from another dimension..." Angel began, hesitating slightly as he didn't want Spike to know that his mirror image was called 'Puppy' in his home universe. "A Sunnydale where Buffy never came to town. He is very different from me, as you just saw. Usually he is very quiet, but he is very sensitive about Xander."

"What? The other you is that kid's lapdog now?" Spike laughed, but his joyful mood evaporated when he noticed that Angel was not angry at him. He seemed even more worried.

"I wouldn't say that when he's around Spike. Even if Buffy agreed to your peace offering, I wouldn't answer if you cross him."

* * *

Xander looked at Angel's sleeping figure, with a half smile in his face. He really loved to see Angel sleep, mostly because it was when almost all of the suffering that the vampire had was erased in his face.

It was not always like that, so peaceful and silent.

Sometimes, especially since Xander had made clear that Angel's company was not welcome in his bed, the vampire had nightmares. Most of them were about the time he spend as vampire Xander's 'Puppy', the tortures and humiliation he had been subject to. They rarely talked about it, and if Xander wanted more light about those years, he had to order his way around, stand more horror stories of what _he_ could do if he let his impulses get the best of him.

But lately, Angel's nightmares were about his days in this universe, about what Xander had or had not done. Those hurt Xander a lot, even when he had learned not to show it. He knew that Angel was afraid that he would be sent away, forgotten and ignored. Angel didn't gave him much details, but the mortal knew that the dreams were a long detailed depiction of _mortal_ Xander, of himself, leaving Angel alone. Or making him beg for his life.

He wanted to tell him that it was not like that, that he would never make him go if he could help it, that there would be no more tortures or suffering.

But he couldn't trust himself to stay with words.

He didn't want to go past words.

Not until he could trust Angel to help him remember to stay in control.

Lightly caressing Angel's cheek to make sure the vampire was really asleep, he kissed his forehead gently before going out to school.

* * *

Drusilla was spinning on her toes, watching the ceiling of the abandoned hotel that was serving to house her and the Chaos Demon. She was smiling, even when the voices in her head were warning her about the possible doom that Angel could bring upon her. She hated to believe that her beloved Angelus would do something to harm her... but sometimes... sometimes she dreamed of the times when Angel had been at the Slayer's side. When Spike had helped that human girl to destroy her beautiful fires. That made her sad.

Now the voices were telling her that her Angelus was back, but that Angel was still around. She had to kill one to keep the other. She had to kill the Slayer's friends. And she had to get rid of Spike.

She didn't want to get rid of Spike. She liked Spike and sometimes, when the sky was set on fire and the moon was dark, she loved him. But Spike had tried to kill Angel, and that was never going to be forgiven. She couldn't love someone who had betrayed her.

Maybe she could really get rid of Spike after all. She was able to do so many things.

The Chaos Demon was very much like Spike had been before leaving Prague and he also made Drusilla's dreams come true. He planned to finish what Angelus had started, and open the Hellmouth again. The party that Angelus had promised was finally coming true.

But the Chaos Demon didn't listen to Miss. Edith or the other dolls, and thus, he didn't know that he only had to kill the Slayer's friends, that it was only needed to kill one Angel. The insane vampire giggled. She was going to enjoy killing the blonde bitch's friends... and if there were two Angel's, she would kill one of them.

Even if she was not completely sure of which one she had to kill.

* * *

Spike had been truthful with the Scooby Gang for what was probably the first time in his life. He knew that the slayerettes wouldn't trust him, no matter how much he helped them with the planning so he had stayed as close as he could to his word. All he wanted was to destroy the damn demon who had stolen his beloved Dru.

Against all his principles, he had given them a full description of the ritual, hidden stakes at convenient places, all in an attempt to get them to trust him a little more. Of course, it hadn't work, but at least he was sure that no one would accidentally stake him during the fight.

Besides, he still was very intrigued by the Angel twins.

During the week that preceded the ritual's night, Drusilla had been rambling on and off about her two Angels, her twin stars and the glorious darkness in one of them. The Chaos Demon had barely paid any attention, as he was obsessed with the absolute destruction of all the mortals around, but Spike had been listening very carefully.

It was true that one of the Angels, the one that was always close to Xander and that the others sometimes called 'Puppy' when they thought Spike couldn't hear them, seemed more merciless than the other. Not enough to be confused with the psychopath that was Angelus, but still very noticeable.  Enough to make Spike wonder why they had nicknamed him 'Puppy'.

Whose puppy was the mirror image of his sire? Xander's? That wasn't likely even if the vampire seemed obsessed with keeping the mortal's safe. To make a vampire that submissive someone needed to be stronger than the vampire, and there was no way that the mortal kid could have done it. Maybe the Slayer had ordered her lapdog to keep an eye on their weak link.

If that was the case, Spike only wanted to know one thing.

How much should one strain the leash to make the dog bite his guard?

* * *

"O.K. This is the plan," Buffy held her bag of stakes with an all knowing smile, while the rest of the Scooby Gang waited in Oz's van. Since the mysterious ritual was held in a new moon night, they had their full group ready. "We go, get the stakes, and kill all the vampires we can. You just clear my path to the demon. Xander, maybe it would be better if..."

"I'll go with you, Buff. I can take care of myself." Xander shoot his friend a smile, while he doused his batch of stakes with holy water. He knew that Angel's eyes were growing wider with surprise, even if the rest of the group didn't notice. It was one of vampire Xander's torture habits, ensuring that even if the stake didn't hit the heart, the vampire would be immobile, and almost die just out of pain. And he had one advantage over his vampiric self, the stakes wouldn't burn his skin, allowing him to keep a stronger grip. "I don't want anyone leaving the fight just to save me."

The blonde slayer open her mouth to object, even to recall him of what had happened in the last few times when he had helped her. Xander had never been the one who end up hurt before, but lately, he was taking more risks, even if Puppy was not there to get him out. But she changed her mind in the last minute. "Fine, Xander. I was just checking." If he wanted to die, it was not her trouble. She was still furious for his insistence that she _scared_ Puppy, and hated to see the vampire stay close to him.  Maybe if Xander had a heroic death, she would forgive him.

And grieve and be comforted by two Angels.

* * *

Drusilla began laughing when Buffy entered the main room of the ancient church they were using for the darkness ritual. It was a circular temple, and the Chaos demon's minions had painted with ashes an ancient pentagram filled with runes in the center, where she was standing over the discarded body of a young girl that had served as the first sacrifice, still holding the ceremonial knife. She wanted to see the flames of hell before anyone else. And the circle was surrounded by vampires, and her Demon was at her side. It was impossible that anyone stopped them now.

She kept laughing even when all of Buffy friends came bursting through the door, interrupting the chants of her Demon lover. Her laughter didn't die even when she saw two Angels, even when her vampires began dying all around her. Even when the other sacrifice they needed ran away after the meddling mortals saved him.

Because she had seen the darkness in her Angel. Her Angelus. She had seen his weakness, the only thing that kept him acting like the Slayer's Angel. Even if the fires didn't came to light her skies that night, she would have her Angelus again. She was happy.

She only stepped out of the rune circle when one of the vampires threw Xander near her, his hands burning thanks to the stakes that the boy was using. There was something bad in those stakes that made them die even if they didn't hit the heart. Drusilla remembered Xander very well, as images of one night came to her mind.

The night when she had offered him eternal life and he had refused.

It was all right.

Now she would not give him a choice.

She was still laughing as she forced him to stand, holding his neck with one hand, tracing soft lines over his chest with the same knife that had been used with the first victim of the sacrifice, making a small cut barely higher than his heart. Not enough to kill, but enough to draw blood.  Dru carried him to the center of the circle, smiling and giggling. No one, not even her Demon, noticed.

"Miss Edith told me that it was you the one who kept my Angelus away from me..."The red line in the mortal's chest grew. Then, the battle seemed to freeze over, but she paid no attention to the others. Not even to her Angelus. Her eyes were fixed on Xander's, she would love to see him shiver with fear. "If you die, the stars will smile again."

Fear was Drusilla's favorite emotion.

But there was none in Xander's eyes. He was looking at her with darkened eyes, daring her to push the knife farther. "I don't think they're very happy..." The mortal gasped, even as she tightened her hold.

"Drusilla, let him go!" The Slayer screamed, as she broke the Chaos demon's neck. Her friends were paralyzed. Even both Angels were still in their place. Even Spike, who now appeared to be scared, didn't move towards her.

Good.

They were finally scared of her.

All of them except Xander. The one she was threatening.

That couldn't be good.

"I am going to have my party now... All of you will die..." Drusilla began, her gaze flickering from her Angelus... her Angelus with rage dark eyes, to her Spike. "All my enemies will die, all my friends will laugh..."

"Pet... It's all over now... Let him go and we will return to Prague..." Spike's voice sounded weak to her. Pleading. Her Spike did not plead. Now it would be easier to get rid of him.

"I almost died on Prague." She still didn't let go of Xander, surprised that he was not struggling... Like the first time she held him like that. When she had saved him from her Angelus. When it seemed that he knew what to do to fight. "You have abandoned me, Spike... you broke our family..."

"Let him go!" Her Angelus growled, making Drusilla blink. She had never heard her Angelus use that tone of voice with her... not even when he had killed her family. But she didn't obey, she just pushed the knife deeper inside the wound, making her way to the mortal's beating heart.

"You will be better off without him..." She said, mesmerized by the crimson hue of the mortal's blood in the blade. It was the sacrifice. One drop in the center of the circle and all would be over.

But she wanted it to last until her Angelus returned to her, so she kept the knife inside the wound. "I know you love me... you said it, so long ago..."

"He will kill you for me..." Xander mumbled, his smile never faltering. Of course, she didn't believe him. Why would her Angelus kill her just because a mortal boy said so?

"You are stupid, little boy" she said, her smile turning to a pout. "He is my angel. He would never kill me. Not even for his Slayer."

If she had been paying attention to Angelus, she might have had a chance. She could have dropped Xander and escape before Angelus rushed to kill her. She could have killed Xander and at least known that after Angelus killed her, he would have been broken.

But she was too focused on the boy, and the voices in her head were not sure of what to tell her to do.

Kill

Run.

Hide.

Surrender.

Drusilla never saw how Angelus picked up one of Xander's stakes, obvlious to the burning pain on his skin. She never heard the other mortal's screams and yelling, or Spike's last warning.

She was lost in the mocking grin that Xander was giving her.

When the stake pushed in her skin, not touching her heart, but her stomach, she hissed with pain, only to be stopped by Angelus' strong arms. The vampire that had sired her was smiling despise the pain. "I am not _yours_ Dru."

"A...Angelus?" Drusilla stared at his sire, shock painted all over her face just as her flesh turned to smoke, the pain cursed through her body, reaching her heart.

"I am _his_, I will always be his." With that last parting, Angelus drove the stake to her heart, watching emotionless as she turned to dust, finally letting go of the piece of wood that had burned his hand almost to the bone.

The difference was that he was still alive, and Drusilla was no more.

"Angelus?" Xander stepped towards him, taking the knife off from his chest, just making sure that his blood didn't touch the center of the circle.

He was watching the vampire very closely, not sure if he wanted an answer.

* * *

"Oh, great!" Buffy snide remark was silenced by Angel's stern look, but that didn't stop the slayer from getting her crossbow ready. So far she didn't had any proof that Puppy was Angelus, except from Drusilla's last words, but if she noticed at least one minimum sign of the psychopath demon that had been her boyfriend, she was going to strike him so fast that he wouldn’t' be able to apologize.

It would be a great therapy, after the months she had suffered because she had to send Angel to hell. However, before she could do anything, Angel stood behind her, taking the crossbow away.

"No, Buffy... wait..."

* * *

"Angelus?" Xander asked again, stepping a little closer. Angelus looked at him with broken eyes. Now that Drusilla had revealed to everyone that he had lost his soul, his beloved master would never trust him again, never let him touch him again... Because he had played with his trust.

"Xander... get away from him! He will kill you!!" Willow shrieked, and Angelus hated her more than before. She should know that he would never hurt Xander. He would die first.

"He's hurt." Angelus blinked, not sure if he had heard Xander right. "He will need blood to heal." As he spoke, the mortal teenager touched the red spot on his shirt, before tearing it off, revealing his wounded chest.

"Xander, no... That's crazy!" Buffy's voice was very close to an order. But Angelus barely heard her... his full attention was focused in Xander's eyes. He couldn't believe that the offering was true.

"I trust him." Xander said, and his smile became tender, almost loving. "I trust you... Angelus."

Those words filled Angelus with happiness, in the same manner that the soft declaration of love had done weeks ago. Without taking his eyes away from the brown chocolate pools that had him mesmerized, Angelus got to his feet, and traced the red line of the wound with his tongue, tasting for the first time the life essence of his master.

The copper, sweet intoxicating taste that had been in his dreams for so long, that was all that he had dreamed and more. He licked the thick liquid to clean the wound that Drusilla had inflicted, knowing that his master wouldn't stop him if he tried to drink more.

Knowing that his master trusted him to stop, without the threat of a punishment.

He had given him the final proof of his love, even if he couldn't understand what had made this time different from the others.

Hugging Xander, he kneeled to the floor, so his face was facing the mortal's groin, and he smiled. Angelus knew that now he could touch Xander and show him how much he loved him, all the things he would do for him. Closing his eyes, he began rubbing his head to his beloved's body reveling on the warm hardness under his cheek.

The End.   
 


End file.
